Translated by Jesús Ronquillo / Circuito Frontera
It has been 280 days since Juan Carlos Meza Cumplido, coordinator of Grupo Beta, was arrested after being linked to the fire at the National Migration Institute (INM) in Ciudad Juarez in March 2023. However, last Friday, January 12, there was a significant turnaround in his case: the amount of his bail was reduced from 20 to two million pesos.
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Leonardo Lara Ferreiro, attorney of Legal Estudio Jurídico and defense counsel for Juan Carlos Meza, told Circuito Frontera that in an unnamed incidental hearing to substitute economic guarantee, the Control Judge, Juan José Chávez Montes, conducted the revision of precautionary measures and approved the change of the bail imposed.
He mentioned that during the debate the arguments of both parties were heard and the Judge reduced the bail from 20 million to two million pesos, after it was argued the impossibility of the coordinator of Grupo Beta to pay such a high amount, given his lack of income after being imprisoned for more than eight months.
In addition, as a preventive measure, the Control Judge accepted the imposition of an electronic bracelet, which will allow Meza Cumplido to obtain his freedom and continue his judicial process under criminal case 235/2023, outside of prison while the investigation continues.
He said that this is an unprecedented case in the state of Chihuahua, and possibly in the northeast of the Republic, which represents an achievement for the defense.
That the placement and surveillance of this device has already been arranged with a security company in Chihuahua, as well as the National Guard would also be involved in monitoring the compliance of this precautionary measures.
We made arrangements with a security company based in the city of Chihuahua that will be in charge of placing this device and monitoring him (…) But what we consider a very important achievement here is that this judge has agreed to lower the 20 million pesos guarantee to two million pesos and to agree to the imposition of this electronic bracelet. And after this what will happen, after this he will be released», he said.
Lara Ferreiro pointed out that to cover the two million pesos of bail, options such as a pledge, mortgage or trust were contemplated, in addition to a commission for a financing company.
THE INCONSISTENCIES IN THE CASE OF JUAN CARLOS MEZA
The case of the fire in the temporary stay B of the National Institute of Migration registered last year was an event that shocked the Juarense community, but also nationally and internationally, since the loss of 40 migrant lives and 27 more were injured.
An event that must be investigated to the fullest extent and justice must be provided to the victims.
However, it should be remembered that Juan Carlos Meza, who was identified as one of the alleged perpetrators, was linked to the investigation of the fire, after the Attorney General’s Office presented a document in which he was identified as the person in charge of the Internal Protection Unit, despite the fact that the document lacks all the signatures of those involved, explained Daniel Alvarez, defense attorney of Legal Estudio Jurídico.
Likewise, the coordinator of the Beta Group was assigned to the Tornillo zone, 60 kilometers from the INM, at the time of the incident, he said.
Alvarez also recalled that the Attorney General’s Office omitted evidence in his client’s trial, such as the videos from the security cameras inside the federal precinct.
Meza Cumplido’s defense attorney also emphasized that, although freedom has no price, the bracelet would serve to ensure that Juan Carlos does not escape from the judicial process, maintaining a balance between the economic guarantee and the procedural risk.
«The person who is facing the process, cannot pay it, well we have the obligation to make it known to the judge and all the parties involved and based on them replace it with another and the law says that it should be equivalent, obviously it is an equivalence to 20 million. So it is complicated to reach this conclusion because we are also talking about freedom and freedom has no price», he said.
He stated that, at the end of the day, once the judge’s decision was issued, they were given a term to make the necessary arrangements to obtain the two million pesos for the bail.
He added that once they conclude with this process they will inform the Control Judge to hold another hearing in which all those involved will be present to exhibit the economic guarantee and Juan Carlos will be free to go through his trial.
Manuel Pineda Contreras, head of the law firm Estudio Jurídico and coordinator of the defense, also said that so far, Juan Carlos Meza Cumplido will be the only one of the accused to be released after being linked to the facts.
He explained that this was a strategic achievement, however, they are working on the defense of other defendants and INM employees who are also in custody.
It should be recalled that for these facts, the public servants of the INM were linked to the process:
- Francisco Garduño Yáñez
- Antonio Molina Díaz
- Salvador González Guerrero
- Juan Carlos Meza Cumplido
- Eduardo Apodaca Magallanes
- Daniel Goray Yosioka
- Rodolfo Collazo de la Torre
- Gloria Liliana Ramos García.
In addition to two migrants:Jaison N., and Carlos Eduardo C., both Venezuelan nationals.
BACKGROUND
- March 27, 2023: Fire at the Provisional Stay B in Ciudad Juarez, resulting in 40 migrants dead and 27 injured.
- At 11:20 p.m., INM personnel begin hospital rounds to identify the injured.
- Transfers of seriously injured to high specialty hospitals in Mexico City with the support of SEDENA, SEMAR and IMSS.
- March 28, 2023: INM Commissioner meets with the Forensic Medical Service to assist in the identification of corpses.
- March 31, 2023: Grupo de Seguridad Privada CAMSA SA de CV that operated at the National Migration Institute (INM) incurred in at least nine omissions.
- April 5 to 16, 2023: Repatriation of the bodies of deceased foreigners to their countries of origin.
- May 10, 2023: Temporary suspension of 33 temporary stays of the INM.
- Implementation of Civil Protection measures at migration sites.
- Validation of action protocols and emergency codes.
- Instruction to resolve the migratory situation of foreigners in a term no longer than 36 hours according to the SCJN resolution.
- May 18, 2023: Request by the INM to the SHCP for a special budget line for reparation of damages.
- July 2, 2023: Receipt of CNDH recommendation 111VG/2023 on human rights violations, partially accepted by the INM.
- July 10, 2023: Authorization of 3.5 million pesos per deceased victim by the CEAV, totaling 140 million pesos, validated by the SHCP.
- Continuation of the procedure for compensation to beneficiaries.
- Accompaniment of injured victims in their medical care.
- INM will cover the costs of lodging, food and personal services for the victims’ families.
- Attention to injured migrants transferred to Mexico City, including lodging and various services.
- Delivery of donated medical equipment to the General Hospital in Chihuahua.
- Transfer of family members to places of interest and recreation.
- August 13, 2023: INM presents progress in case 139 after the fire.November 09, 2023: A control judge removed the preventive detention of the coordinator of Grupo Beta, Juan Carlos Meza Cumplido, but imposes bail of 20 million pesos.
- January 12 2024: A control judge modifies precautionary measure for Juan Carlos Meza and approves a bail of 2 million pesos and the use of an electronic bracelet.
