The Government of Mexico increased the pressure on Florida authorities this Thursday by requesting a “thorough investigation” to clarify the death of Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, a 28-year-old Mexican citizen who died after being run over during an operation by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) in St. Augustine, St. Johns County, on July 14.

Through the Mexican Consulate in Orlando, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) reported that it maintains permanent monitoring of the case and that it has already formally requested the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and, where appropriate, determine the corresponding responsibilities.

“As part of the consular protection actions, the Consulate requested the Florida Highway Patrol to carry out an exhaustive investigation to clarify the circumstances of the events and, where appropriate, determine the corresponding responsibilities,” the diplomatic representation said in a statement. The Mexican Government also expressed its condolences to the family of the compatriot and reiterated that it will continue to provide consular assistance and accompaniment throughout the process.

Consulate provides support to the family and maintains diplomatic efforts

Although the official statement did not identify the victim by name, the Government of the state of Guanajuato previously confirmed that it is Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, originally from the municipality of San Luis de la Paz. According to the Mexican authorities, since the case became known, personnel from the Consulate in Orlando established contact with the relatives to offer guidance on the legal procedures and support the necessary efforts, including the eventual repatriation of the body.

The victim's wife, Jessica Alamilla, previously told local media that Coronilla Durán had recently arrived in the United States. “He had a tourist visa, he had little, he had three weeks (in the United States), here in Florida he had two days,” he stated.

Until now, neither the US authorities nor the Mexican Government have officially specified what the immigration status of the Mexican citizen was at the time of the operation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also indicated that it is holding diplomatic conversations with US authorities to express its concern about various detention and arrest procedures that, as it noted, “have led to regrettable consequences.”

The case increases scrutiny of ICE operations

According to available information, Coronilla Durán died after fleeing on foot during an operation led by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). While trying to escape, he was hit by a truck on a St. Johns County highway. The Department of Homeland Security reported that both the Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Florida Highway Patrol maintain an open investigation to determine how the events occurred.

The death of the Mexican occurs in the midst of a growing debate about the tactics used by immigration agents during detention operations in different parts of the country. In recent weeks, other fatal incidents related to ICE actions have also been recorded, including the death of Mexican Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Texas and Colombian citizen Joan Sebastián Guerrero in Maine, both during interventions by federal agents.

In this context, the Mexican Foreign Ministry reported that it will continue to use “all consular, legal and diplomatic instruments” to protect the rights of Mexican citizens in the United States. Likewise, he recalled that he recently filed complaints with state and county prosecutors related to the deaths of 17 Mexicans in operations or in ICE custody, in addition to requesting information about those cases from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

While the investigations progress, the Government of Mexico insists that the US authorities fully clarify what happened to Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán and determine if there were responsibilities during the immigration operation.