A retired judge in Mexico has been arrested after being implicated in tampering evidence critical to the investigation into the 2014 disappearance of 43 students in Iguala. Lambertina Galeana Marín allegedly ordered the destruction of vital CCTV footage, raising further questions about accountability and justice in this ongoing tragedy.
Former Judge Arrested in Connection with Infamous Disappearance of 43 Mexican Students
Former Judge Arrested in Connection with Infamous Disappearance of 43 Mexican Students
Lambertina Galeana Marín, aged 79, faces charges linked to the 2014 case as families seek justice.
In a significant development regarding the 2014 disappearance of 43 students from Iguala, Mexico, authorities have arrested Lambertina Galeana Marín, a former judge who held a prominent position as president of the Superior Tribunal of Justice in Guerrero at the time. The 79-year-old is accused of orchestrating the destruction of CCTV footage that is believed to have been pivotal to the investigation into the students' forced disappearance.
Galeana's arrest occurred in the city of Chilpancingo, taking place three years after an arrest warrant was issued against her. The case of the missing students has plagued Mexico for over a decade, remaining an unresolved tragedy that has captured the attention of families and activists pushing for justice.
Despite multiple investigations, very little clarity has emerged about the events of the night of September 26, 2014, when the young men were last seen. While the remains of three students have been identified, the fate of the remaining 40 is still unknown. A report from a truth commission appointed by the Mexican government in 2022 highlighted systemic failings, labeling the mass abduction a state-sponsored crime that implicated both police and local authorities.
According to the commission's findings, Iguala's police collaborated with a criminal organization named Guerreros Unidos to suppress the students, who had traveled to the city seeking buses for an annual protest in Mexico City. The report alleges that local officials were on high alert, with police blocks set to control the situation, becoming complicit in the students' disappearance.
Eyewitness accounts suggested that security cameras at the Palace of Justice captured vital evidence but the footage was never provided to investigators. It vanished under suspicious circumstances, leading prosecutors to accuse Galeana of issuing orders to delete or destroy the recordings. The Mexican security ministry confirmed that Galeana would face serious charges of forced disappearance as families continue to demand answers and accountability.
