Mexican Government Vows Legal Action Against El Paso Shooter

Texas state police cars block the access to the Walmart store in the aftermath of a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas on Aug. 3, 2019. (Andres Leighton/AP Photo)

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Sunday that the Mexican attorney general is considering taking legal action, arguing the El Paso shooting at the Walmart in Texas was an act of terrorism against Mexicans, in which, seven Mexicans were killed and seven more injured.

In a statement, Ebrard said, “We consider this act an act of terrorism against the Mexican-American community and Mexican citizens living in the United States.”

He emphasized that Mexicans are outraged.

U.S. investigators believe that the shooter posted a lengthy online manifesto where he went on about a perceived “invasion” of Hispanics before targeting the El Paso Walmart.

“The intentionality of the attack against the Mexicans and the Latino community in El Paso is frightening,” Mexico’s ambassador to Washington, Martha Bárcena, wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

The El Paso, Texas shooting left a total of 22 dead and another 26 injured.

El Paso is situated on the U.S.-Mexico border across from Ciudad Juarez, a major gathering point for migrants aiming to cross into the United States and others wait out requests for asylum in the United States.

In a press conference, Ebrard said that the government of Mexico is looking into the facts about the shooting, and may take legal measures to extradite the shooters and those who provided the weapons. “The Foreign relations office will take the necessary legal actions against the person who is responsible for the sale of the assault weapon to the person responsible for the shooting.”

The Minister said that the Mexican government will not use hate but will instead use legal measures to seek justice for those killed.

Today, President Trump also called for the nation to “condemn racism, bigotry, and white supremacy.” He said these “sinister ideologies” must be defeated.

The President said in his final proposal that he would be directing the Department of Justice to propose legislation that would ensure “those who commit hate crimes and mass murders face the death penalty, and that this capital punishment is delivered quickly, decisively, and without years of needless delay.”

According to the Mexican government’s website, “the foreign minister will deliver a diplomatic note tomorrow to the United States government to request, in a respectful but firm manner, that it establishes a clear and forceful position against hate crimes.”

Thousands of Mexicans cross the border legally each day to work and shop in El Paso County, home to 800,000 full-time residents, and El Paso County is more than 80 percent Latino, according to the El Paso government population information.

The Mexican President tweeted: “I regret the events in El Paso, Texas, neighboring town and brother of Ciudad Juarez and our nation. I send my condolences to the families of the victims, both American and Mexican. The SRE (Secretariat of Foreign Affairs) and our consulate are acting and providing support.”

“We understand that the people of the United States are also in mourning and we hope that what we have experienced this weekend never be repeated. Never again,” said Ebrard.