Investigators probe the killings of 4 women and 2 children in central Mexico

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Tuesday that investigators are looking into the killings of four women and two children in central Mexico, where National Guard officers were present.

The murders occurred Sunday in León, an industrial city in the state of Guanajuato where drug cartels have been fighting bloody turf battles for years.

The quasi-military National Guard has been López Obrador’s main force for battling organized crime, though the military has been implicated in a series of human rights abuses that are tainting the Guard.

Guanajuato state Gov. Diego Sinhue Rodríguez, called for an investigation after security camera footage showed National Guard officers entering “a property without permission” before the alleged killers entered the same home.

The footage shows five National Guard officers in the neighborhood five minutes before the killings took place. The guards are seen crossing the street and entering the home wearing bulletproof gear. They leave the home at approximately 9:17 p.m. carrying a large black bag. Five minutes later, a group of four men are seen arriving at the home where, shortly after, residents heard gunshots.

According to local police, shell casings from varying weapons were found in the house where the six people were killed.

León Mayor Jorge Jiménez Lona, said at a press conference that arrests have been made in the case, but gave no further details.

“We’re investigating,” said López Obrador “If Guard officers are found to be involved, they will be punished.” ___

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The Associated Press