"Because these incidents cannot be seen as isolated cases, the Government of Mexico has called the Justice Department of the United States to follow the investigations of these cases through its Civil Rights Division and provide assurances that they are conducted with transparency, and, if necessary, that civil and criminal responsibilities are established," the statement, released on Monday, said.
In less than a month, three Mexican immigrants died at hands of police officers in the United States, and Mexican officials strongly condemned the incidents.
The incidents “presumably involved an excessive use of force,” the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
On February 27, a Mexican citizen Ernesto Javier Canepa Diaz was shot dead by police in Santa Ana, California. Two others, Antonio Zambrano and Ruben Garcia Montes, were killed earlier in February by policemen in Pasco, Washington, and Euless, Texas.
On Monday, the US National Fraternal Order of Police — the largest law enforcement union in the United States — issued a statement calling the death of Zambrano-Montes a tragedy. It expressed confidence that the US Special Investigative Unit will conduct a thorough and impartial investigation of the case.
The Mexican government has asked the Mexican Civil Rights Advisory Group to find legal options and to develop strategies to raise public awareness about police practices, the press release said.
The Mexican government created the Group to bring together US organizations involved in high-impact lawsuits related to the rights of Mexican citizens, with which it has had a long working relationship through its embassy and consulates.
