U.S. Won’t Pursue Charges in Border Patrol Shooting of Mexican Teen
Members of BNHR blocked Montana Ave. in front of the El Paso Border Patrol offices in protest of the killing in 2010.
The Department of Justice Announced Friday that the U.S. will not pursue charges in the 2010 shooting death of 15-year-old Sergio Hernandez-Guereca by a Border Patrol agent.
The agent, standing in El Paso, shot and killed Hernandez-Guereca, who was standing in Mexico.
The Border Network for Human Rights has been publicly demanding justice and accountability in the case for the last two years. BNHR denounces this decision.
“This demonstrates a lack of willingness in the Obama Administration to prosecute cases where human rights have clearly been violated,” said BNHR Executive Director Fernando Garica. “Today impunity was served instead of justice.”
“There is a perception among border communities in and around El Paso that something wrong happened that day. Communities here have been asking for some accountability from this administration, but we now see that accountability is not a priority for this administration.”
“The message sent to our border community is that young immigrant men can be killed and nothing will happen. Today, our communities on the border have less trust in federal border institutions and in the ability of this administration to provide justice. This leaves an open wound in Sergio’s family and in our community.”
The Border Network for Human Rights will continue to demand justice for Hernandez-Guereca and the estimated 500 annual victims of institutional border violence.
