Mexico has filed 20 formal complaints with prosecutors across the United States over the deaths of 17 Mexican citizens during operations or while in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since May 2025, the country's Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday, 23 July 2025. The complaints mark one of Mexico's most coordinated legal pushes against US immigration enforcement practices in recent memory.

How the Complaints Were Filed

Mexican Ambassador to the United States Roberto Lazzeri filed eight complaints with state prosecutors and 12 complaints with county prosecutors on 13 July, targeting jurisdictions where the deaths occurred. The states involved include Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas.

A separate complaint, prepared by Mexico's Attorney General's Office, was submitted to the US Department of Justice on 14 July, formally requesting investigations and updates on their progress. The Foreign Ministry described all filings as part of legal actions aimed at clarifying the circumstances of each death.

Diplomatic Escalation at Multiple Levels

Ambassador Lazzeri also met with officials from the US Department of Homeland Security and ICE to convey Mexico's concern over conditions in detention centres, including those operated by private companies, and to request case-by-case clarification.

In a parallel move, Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco wrote to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, requesting his office to gather information, assess the deaths under international human rights instruments, and issue technical recommendations. The decision to engage the UN signals Mexico's intent to internationalise what it views as a pattern of custodial negligence.

Consular Support for Families

Mexico's consular network has been providing legal support and assistance to the families of the deceased, including help with the repatriation of remains and other requested procedures, the Foreign Ministry said. This is the most visible humanitarian dimension of an otherwise diplomatic and legal dispute.

Sheinbaum Questions US Account of Zambada Arrest

This comes amid a separate but related strain in US-Mexico relations. On Tuesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum again questioned the US government's account of the 2024 arrest of drug lord Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, who was sentenced on Monday to life in prison in New York.

'Why are they showing a plane — at a fair — as if it were part of their operation, when the official version is that they did not participate? It is a contradiction,' Sheinbaum said at her daily press conference, referring to the aircraft used to transport Zambada into the United States in July 2024. She added that Washington had not provided sufficient information to clarify the arrest, which Mexico says helped trigger a wave of violence in the northwestern state of Sinaloa. The US government has maintained it did not take part in any operation on Mexican territory.

Together, the ICE death complaints and the Zambada controversy reflect a deepening friction in bilateral relations — one that is likely to intensify as US immigration enforcement operations continue.