According to reports from U.S.-based United Press International (UPI) and other foreign media, on July 22 local time, Mexico’s Foreign Ministry stated that since May 2025, a total of 17 Mexican nationals have died in the United States during immigration enforcement operations or while in custody. The Mexican side has filed 20 “criminal complaints” with the U.S. authorities and is urging the U.S. Department of Justice to launch an investigation.

Mexico’s Foreign Ministry stated on social media that on July 13, Mexican Ambassador to the United States Roberto Lazzeri filed 20 “criminal complaints” with the judicial authorities in the jurisdiction where the incidents occurred, including eight with state prosecutors and 12 with county prosecutors. The relevant incidents involve the U.S. states of Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas.

On July 14, the Mexican Embassy in the United States, through the U.S. Department of State, forwarded a complaint from Mexico’s Federal Attorney General’s Office to the U.S. Department of Justice, requesting that formal investigations be launched into 17 cases involving the deaths of Mexican nationals.

Furthermore, on the 14th, Roberto Velasco, Mexico’s Foreign Ministry’s Director for North American Affairs, sent a letter through Mexico’s Permanent Mission to Geneva to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, requesting that the UN gather relevant information, assess whether the incident in question complies with international human rights instruments, and put forward technical recommendations to prevent similar occurrences from recurring.

According to earlier reports, on the 9th, Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco Álvarez stated that, in response to the deaths of Mexican citizens in incidents linked to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Mexican government plans to request that the U.S. Department of Justice launch a criminal investigation. He stated that this decision was made after repeated attempts to communicate with the U.S. side through diplomatic channels had failed.

After U.S. President Trump takes office in 2025, he will launch a large-scale deportation campaign and continue to pressure Latin American countries on immigration issues.