Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Roberto Lazzeri confirmed Tuesday that Mexico has filed criminal complaints with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the deaths of Mexican citizens in U.S. custody. The legal filings, submitted by the Mexican attorney general, follow the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation and four recent deaths at a California detention facility. The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Relations has also requested additional oversight from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The diplomatic actions occur alongside stalled negotiations for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The three nations missed a July 1 deadline to renew the trade pact, triggering a rolling annual review process. Ambassador Lazzeri stated that while the yearly review provides a legal baseline, the resulting uncertainty is "less than ideal" for long-term capital investment. He identified transshipment and rules of origin as primary sticking points in current trade discussions.
Ambassador Lazzeri characterized the bilateral relationship as "constant work" despite recent tensions. These include U.S. federal indictments against several Mexican officials and discussions by the Trump administration regarding potential unilateral military action against drug cartels. The White House has not commented on the specific criminal complaints or whether President Trump and President Claudia Sheinbaum have discussed the recent deaths.