Former Mexican Judge Arrested for Role in 2014 Student Disappearance

In a significant development in the case of 43 missing students from Ayotzinapa, retired Judge Lambertina Galeana Marín has been arrested for reportedly ordering the destruction of crucial CCTV footage linked to the 2014 incident, demanding accountability amid ongoing calls for justice.

Police in Mexico have apprehended a former judge linked to the 2014 disappearance of 43 students in Iguala, raising hopes for progress in a case that continues to haunt the nation. Lambertina Galeana Marín, who served as president of the Superior Tribunal of Justice in Guerrero, is accused of manipulating evidence by ordering the destruction of critical CCTV footage that could shed light on the tragic events surrounding the students' vanishing.

At 79 years old, Galeana was arrested in Chilpancingo three years after a warrant was issued for her capture. The 43 students, all from a teacher training college in Ayotzinapa, were last seen on September 26, 2014. Despite numerous investigations over the years, the full story of their disappearance remains elusive. The remains of only three students have been located, while the fate of the remaining 40 is still presumed to involve grim outcomes.

A report released in 2022 by a truth commission assigned by the Mexican government indicated that the crime was orchestrated with the participation of both state and federal authorities. It detailed a collaboration between local police and the Guerreros Unidos gang, who believed the students' actions of commandeering buses for a protest were influenced by a rival gang, Los Rojos. These suspicions led to increased policing efforts, including roadblocks set up with joint forces of local, state, and federal personnel.

Reports suggest that one such blockade was situated outside the Palace of Justice, where security cameras were believed to have captured critical moments of the night. However, investigators revealed that the footage mysteriously disappeared, leaving critical gaps in the inquiry. Prosecutors now claim that Galeana was responsible for the order to destroy or delete this evidence, undermining justice for the victims. In an official statement, Mexico’s security ministry announced that Galeana will face charges related to forced disappearance, as families continue to seek justice for their lost children.