The Mexican government said it will seek access to the U.S. investigation of the man accused of shooting and killing 20 people, including at least seven Mexican nationals, at a Walmart store Saturday.
But it’s unclear how seriously American prosecutors will take into account Mexico’s demands.
The country’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard outlined a six-point plan on Sunday afternoon, just hours after officials revised upward the number of Mexican nationals killed in the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas.
In addition to greater access to the investigation, Ebrard said the Mexican government will ask the Mexican Attorney General to evaluate whether to seek the extradition of the shooter on terrorism charges.
“We consider this act to be an act of terrorism against the Mexican American community and Mexican nationals in the U.S.,” Ebrard said.
Whether American officials would cooperate with extradition is an open question.
U.S. prosecutors announced they will seek death-penalty charges against the shooter, identified as 21-year-old Patrick Crusius. The shooting could also be prosecuted as a hate crime.
Despite the potential long odds for extradition, Ebrard said making the demand could help his country gain access to the investigation.
“As far as I know, this would be the first type of legal action like this in history,” he said. “This type of legal action would allow Mexico to have access to corresponding information and to evaluate if any other individuals were involved and threaten lives of Mexicans in the U.S.”
As part of the six-point plan, Ebrard said the Mexican government plans to represent the families of the seven people killed, as well as the seven other Mexican nationals injured in the shooting, in the U.S. investigation.
Two main parts of the Mexican government’s focus, he added, will be on how the assault rifle ended up in the hands of the shooter and if any warnings fell between the cracks in the lead-up to Saturday’s shooting.
“Mexico is outraged, but we don’t propose to fight hate with hate. We will act with reason and in accordance to the law,” he said.
Mexican officials will present on Monday a diplomatic note to the U.S. government asking officials “to take a clear and convincing stand against hate crimes,” Ebrard said.
The statement appears to be a nod to speculation that the shooter was motivated by hateful rhetoric coming from President Donald Trump directed at Mexicans and immigrants.
The individuals are:
Sara Esther Regalado of Ciudad Juárez.
Adolfo Cerros Hernández of Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes.
Jorge Calvillo García of Torreon, Coahuila.
Elsa Mendoza de la Mora of Yepomera, Chihuahua.
Gloria Irma Márquez of Ciudad Juárez.
Maria Eugenia Legarreta of Chihuahua, Chihuahua.
Ivan Filiberto Manzano of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua.
Among those injured were a couple from Chihuahua and their 10-year-old daughter, who were hospitalized with bullet wounds, Mexican officials said.
Ebrard announced on Sunday evening that he will travel to El Paso on Monday to meet with victims of the shooting. (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/breakingnews/mexican-government-says-it-will-seek-extradition-of-el-paso-shooter/ar-AAFkiXr?ocid=wispr)
