Mexican Security Forces Allegedly Behind Border Disappearances, U.N. Says

The United Nations believes Mexico's federal security are the most likely culprits behind the disappearances of 21 men and two women in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.

The disappearances, which occurred between February and May 16, were "allegedly perpetrated by a federal security force," a statement released this week by the office of U.N. Human Rights High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein claims. Although the Mexican branch of the U.N. Human Rights office has only documented 21 cases, other organizations working in the area have reported at least 40.

"Many of these people are reported to have been arbitrarily detained and disappeared while going about their daily lives," Al Hussein said in the statement. "It is particularly horrific that at least five of the victims are minors, with three of them as young as 14."

The high commissioner explained that despite significant evidence, Mexican authorities have done little to address the ongoing problem. He urged the North American country's leaders to take the necessary steps to investigate the disappearances.

"It is vital the Mexican authorities carry out an effective search for those whose whereabouts are still unknown and to conduct a diligent, independent and complete investigation to find out what happened, identify those responsible and ensure they are brought to justice," he said, adding that protection must be given to witnesses, rights defenders and family members.

According to The New York Times, Mexico's government has responded to the statement, promising to send its national investigator to the city to investigate. The country also said its attorney general's office has begun looking into the cases.

"The objective of the investigation is to achieve the prompt clarification of the facts and locate the victims," the Mexican government said on Thursday. "We want to find out what happened and prosecute those responsible."

Although Mexican authorities deny involvement with such disappearances, suspicions of government involvement in similar cases are common.

"They tell us that it is not them—they tell us it is criminals that dress up as the navy," Raymundo Ramos, the president of the Human Rights Committee of Nuevo Laredo, told the Times. "They have not proven that it is not them," he said, pointing out that the authorities have "not arrested anyone for impersonating law enforcement."

Since former President Felipe Calderon sent military forces to fight drug cartels at the end of 2006, more than 35,000 people in Mexico have gone missing and more than 200,000 have been murdered. 2017 saw a record number of killings, with the country's interior ministry reporting 29,168 in total, the highest level since the government started keeping records in 1997.

Last year also marked an alarming jump over previous years, with less than 22,000 murders recorded in 2016 and only about 17,000 in 2015. The second highest year on record, 2011, saw just over 22,000 murders.

Fernando Rios, head of a local human rights group Red TDT, told Reuters that Mexico is "a mutilated country that stinks of blood."

"You step on a mass grave wherever you go," he said.