Cartel gunmen murdered two Jesuit priests who tried to protect another man from being killed in the Mexican border state of Chihuahua. The gunmen then stole the priests’ bodies.
The murder took place on Monday evening in Cerocahui, Chihuahua. According to the Jesuit Order in Mexico, a victim was running away from gunmen and sought refuge in a church. The two priests tried to intervene, but the gunmen killed all three.
Con profundo dolor, denunciamos el homicidio de nuestros hermanos Javier Campos Morales,SJ, y Joaquín César Mora Salazar,SJ,ocurrido ayer en el templo de Cerocahui, #Chihuahua.
Condenamos estos hechos violentos, exigimos justicia.
➡️ https://t.co/UGGXCsatPI#JesuitasMéxico pic.twitter.com/wr4ULX3HXV
— Jesuitas México (@Jesuitas_Mexico) June 21, 2022
“Every day, men and women are arbitrarily deprived of life, just like our brothers were murdered today,” a statement from the Jesuit Order explained. “The Jesuits of Mexico will not remain silent at the reality that lacerates all of society.”
“I am shocked and saddened by this news. My thoughts and prayers are with the #Jesuits in #Mexico and the families of the men. We have to stop violence in our world and so much unnecessary suffering” – Fr Arturo Sosa on the murder of Javier Campos and Joaquín Mora #StopViolence pic.twitter.com/S5E0WmkXU7
— Society of Jesus (@JesuitsGlobal) June 21, 2022
Despite the claims of Mexico’s federal government about diminishing violence, cartel gunmen control large swaths of the country and operate with almost complete impunity. In Chihuahua, criminal cells tied to the Juarez and Sinaloa Cartels have been openly fighting for years for smuggling corridors into the U.S. The area where the clergy murders took place is controlled by the Gente Nueva cell of the Sinaloa Cartel.
During his morning conference, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said that his administration was already looking into the case and have information about the perpetrators.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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