Police Officers Charged with Torturing Women Over Tlatlaya Warehouse Executions Andrew V. Pestano - UPI
go to original July 2, 2015

Investigations into a gunfight between Mexican army forces and alleged gang members in the town of Tlatlaya concluded that the army lined up and executed 12 to 15 people that had laid down their weapons and surrendered. (Al Jazeera)

Seven Mexican police officers on Wednesday were charged with torturing three women who witnessed executions by Army soldiers.

The three women were threatened and tortured by police to corroborate the Army's account of a deadly incident.

In June 2014, an Army patrol reported being shot at by a group of people in the village of San Pedro Limon, about 150 miles southwest of Mexico City. The patrol and police followed the apparent attackers to a warehouse and a gun battle reportedly took place.

Only one police officer was injured but 22 people, reportedly drug cartel members, were killed, which raised suspicions over what was described by the Army as a fierce and long gun battle.

Investigators at the scene determined that multiple victims were lined up against a wall and shot close range. A report by the Mexican government's Human Rights Commission concluded that up to 15 of the victims were executed in the warehouse.

The three women who survived said most of the victims were killed in cold blood.

Three soldiers were previously charged with murder and seven were charged with breach of duty after the events, but no cases have gone to trial yet.

Read the rest at UPI

Related: Documents Show Mexican Army Ordered Troops to 'Kill Criminals' (Associated Press)

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