Five families from Nayarit filed a civil lawsuit in Washington, D.C., against former Nayarit Attorney General Edgar Veytia, accusing him of ordering and participating in acts of torture during his tenure between 2012 and 2017.
Veytia’s tenure as Attorney General is known as “The Terror in Nayarit” due to the abuses committed by security forces under his command.
The plaintiffs alleged that they were victims of torture while in the custody of law enforcement officers following the former official’s direct orders.
In a statement released by the G37 Centre, the organization representing the victims, it was indicated that the lawsuit was filed under the Torture Victims Protection Act (TVPA), which allows U.S. federal courts to prosecute individuals responsible for torture anywhere in the world.
The families are seeking accountability for Edgar Veytia and compensation for the damages they suffered.
The plaintiffs are represented by the G37 Centre, in collaboration with Baker McKenzie and the University of California, Irvine, Legal Clinic. Michael Reed, program director for the G37 Centre, stated that this lawsuit seeks to expose the abuses committed in Nayarit and advance accountability.
“We have spent nearly a decade seeking justice for what we suffered and lost at the hands of Veytia and those under his command. We seek this lawsuit to shed light on the horrific violations committed under the protection of Nayarit authorities, establish accountability, and ensure this never happens again,” the plaintiffs stated.
Edgar Veytia, who holds Mexican and U.S. nationality, was arrested in March 2017 at the border between the two countries and pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in 2019.
Although he received a 20-year prison sentence, his sentence was reduced to 10 years in 2024 after serving as a witness in the case against former Mexican Secretary of Public Security Genaro García Luna. He was released in February 2025.
Source: unotv
