In two separate operations, five members of the National Guard (GN) assigned to Abraham González International Airport were arrested and charged with extortion and express kidnapping of two Mexican nationals who arrived in Ciudad Juárez last week from Mexico City.
The charges are considered more serious because they were allegedly committed by public officials while performing their official duties, according to criminal cases 439/2026 and 443/26.
A taxi driver was also arrested alongside one of the officers but was later released. However, he provided information for an investigation into what authorities believe may be a criminal network targeting people in transit. According to personnel from the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR), additional federal officials may be involved, including members of the National Migration Institute (INM).
The first four suspects, who appeared before a federal control judge last Friday, remain in pretrial detention. On July 8, the judge will decide whether to formally charge the public officials.
The alleged kidnappers are soldiers Fernando P. R., 34; Horacio D. C. S., 24; Alfredo G. C., 31; and First Sergeant Jesús Gerardo R. A., 43.
The Arrest
A flight from Mexico City landed at Abraham González International Airport on the morning of Thursday, July 2. One of the passengers went through the immigration inspection area, where INM personnel requested his documents and asked him to wait for approximately five minutes. The passenger proved his legal status in the country as a Mexican national and was allowed to continue.
After heading toward the airport exit, he was approached in the parking lot by four National Guard officers, who illegally detained him for approximately 27 minutes.
During that time, the officers took his cellphone and threatened him while demanding that his relatives pay 15,000 pesos in exchange for his release.
The payment was made through an electronic bank transfer to the bank account belonging to the wife of one of the alleged attackers. While they waited for confirmation that the transfer had been completed, the victim was handcuffed.
According to the accusation presented by the Federal Public Prosecutor (MPF) before the control judge, the victim managed to escape when the officers became distracted. He ran back inside the airport screaming for help.
Three of the National Guard officers chased him inside the terminal, restrained him once again using excessive force, struck him, and wrestled him to the ground before dragging him back outside while he remained handcuffed.
They then forced him into an official National Guard vehicle.
Exclusive images obtained by El Diario show the moment when three officers used force to restrain the man, who was crying while allegedly being abused. The officers subdued him without any apparent legal reason for his arrest and forcibly removed him through one of the airport exits.
As the victim continued shouting for help and more travelers witnessed the incident, personnel from the National Migration Institute (INM) and the National Guard commander assigned to the airport intervened and spoke with the victim, who accused the officers of the crimes described above.
The officers were arrested by fellow National Guard members and, together with the victim, were taken to the headquarters of the Regional Control Specialized Prosecutor’s Office (FECOR) in Chihuahua, part of the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR).
The following Saturday, they were presented before a federal control judge on charges of extortion and express kidnapping.
The Investigation
The arrest of four National Guard members assigned to the international airport is the first case in which officers have been caught in the act in connection with the kidnapping of migrants.
However, the FGR is investigating additional evidence of possible collusion between INM personnel and National Guard officers in illegal activities.
According to investigators, although the victims had all legally proven their right to remain in the country, they were first detained during the immigration inspection process and later illegally held in the airport parking lot.
As part of the investigation, authorities requested surveillance footage covering the period from the victim’s arrival until he was rescued by other federal officers.
Investigators determined that he had been traveling with several other people and that they were also victims of extortion while being held in the parking lot.
They were released only after the passenger escaped and ran for help, forcing three officers to chase him while only one remained with the other detainees.
All of the victims have been interviewed and accused the officers of extortion and unlawful detention, according to the investigation.
Additional Arrests
On Friday, while the investigation was ongoing, authorities arrested a fifth federal officer and a taxi driver after the airport administrator observed that the officer was allegedly holding another person illegally and interviewed the victim.
National Guard officer Jonathan de Jesús O. V., assigned to Abraham González International Airport, was charged with express kidnapping and aggravated extortion after allegedly demanding 3,000 pesos from a passenger who had just arrived from Mexico City in exchange for allowing him to board a taxi and leave the airport terminal.
During the same hearing, Judge Haydeé de Santiago Wong Edges ruled that the officer’s arrest was lawful. However, she ordered the immediate release of the driver of an official airport taxi, determining that there was insufficient evidence to conclude that his arrest had occurred while committing a crime.
The judge imposed mandatory pretrial detention on the National Guard officer and scheduled the continuation of the initial hearing for Tuesday, July 7, at 6:15 p.m., when she will decide whether to formally charge him. The defense requested the constitutional extension of the 72-hour period before that determination is made.
During the hearing, held in the Second Courtroom of the Federal Criminal Justice Center, the Federal Public Prosecutor explained that the events occurred on the morning of July 3 in the taxi area of Abraham González International Airport.
The victim, identified by the initials E. A. P., had arrived from Mexico City after beginning his journey in Tapachula, Chiapas.
According to investigation file 1407/26 and the official police report prepared by National Guard personnel, the passenger requested an authorized airport taxi. Since he was unfamiliar with the city, he handed his cellphone to the assigned taxi driver so that a person he planned to meet could provide directions to the destination.
The victim stated that the taxi driver voluntarily handed the cellphone to the National Guard officer, who allegedly demanded 3,000 pesos in exchange for allowing him to continue his trip.
According to the charges, the officer warned the passenger that he would not be allowed to leave unless he paid the money.
The victim said he did not have that amount and later offered 700 pesos instead.
At that moment, a man identified as the airport administrator noticed that the victim appeared distressed. After learning what had happened, he notified the National Guard.
Several members of the National Guard responded, including a lieutenant, who interviewed the victim and asked him to identify both the National Guard officer and the taxi driver.
Both men were arrested and later turned over to the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office.
During the hearing, the taxi driver’s attorney argued that the victim had never directly accused his client of unlawfully depriving him of his freedom or extorting him. Instead, the victim stated only that he had handed over his cellphone so he could receive directions.
The defense further argued that there was no evidence suggesting a prior agreement or coordination between the taxi driver and the National Guard officer.
The judge agreed with the defense and concluded that the driver’s arrest did not meet the legal requirements for an arrest in flagrante delicto because there was no objective evidence showing his direct participation or joint involvement with the National Guard officer.
As a result, she ruled the driver’s arrest unlawful, ordered his immediate release, and granted protective measures in his favor.
In contrast, the judge found that there was a direct and unequivocal accusation against Jonathan D. H., as the victim identified him as the person who allegedly demanded the money and prevented him from continuing his journey.
According to the court, these facts constituted objective evidence of an unlawful restriction on the victim’s freedom of movement, making the officer’s arrest lawful.
When presenting the formal charges, the Federal Public Prosecutor stated that the evidence includes:
- The official police report.
- The victim’s testimony.
- A criminal investigation report containing inspections of the airport and taxi area.
- Statements from airport employees.
- Airport surveillance video recordings.
- An official National Guard document confirming that Jonathan D. H. was assigned to Abraham González International Airport at the time of the alleged offenses.
It was reported that, if found guilty, the National Guard officers could face prison sentences ranging from 70 to 75 years.
El Diario submitted eight requests for information to National Guard commanders in Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua but had received no response by the time this edition went to press.
Source: diario
