Francisco Garduño, Mexico’s migration authority, has been charged in relation to a fatal fire.
On Sunday, it was reported that a judge in northern Mexico has ordered the chief of the national migration authority to face charges related to a fire that killed 40 migrants at a holding center in Ciudad Juarez.
Forty migrants from Central and South America have reportedly died due to smoke inhalation while being held in a cell.
According to CCTV footage, the guards departed while the fire was spreading, without unlocking the door of the cell.
According to reports, Mr. Garduno is the top official who has been charged in connection with the fire.
The deadly fire has sparked outrage and raised questions about how Mexican authorities are treating migrants, according to reports.
According to a court ruling in Ciudad Juarez on Sunday, Mr. Garduño is being charged with “illegal performance of official duties” due to sufficient evidence.
The authorities ordered the 74-year-old man to report regularly, but he was not arrested.
According to prosecutors, the deaths of migrants held at the National Institute for Migration (INM) facility south of the US-Mexico border were a result of his inaction.
Mr. Garduno was given a four-month period by the prosecution to prepare a case before the trial began. According to Mr. Garduno, he is unable to provide any comments regarding the ongoing case.
According to El Diario de Juárez, additional footage of the minutes leading up to the fire was shared last week.
The video shows the guards exiting the room as smoke rapidly fills the area. No apparent efforts were made by the guards to rescue the migrants who were confined in the cell where the fire originated.
According to Mexican authorities, the cause of the fire was attributed to a migrant who set fire to a mattress as a form of protest against the inadequate conditions.
One migrant and four guards have been detained in connection with suspected arson, and an investigation into a possible murder is currently ongoing.
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