Mexico arrests 16 soldiers involved in “execution” of five men, ministry says

PHOTO CAPTION: Soldiers with weapons approach a pick-up truck after it crashed into a wall at high speed in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico May 18, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a handout video. Diario El Pais/Handout via REUTERS

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's defense ministry said on Saturday that the 16 military personnel allegedly involved in an "execution" have been arrested, after soldiers were filmed beating and then shooting five men.

A military court on Thursday issued 16 arrest warrants against the military personnel involved for "crimes contrary to military discipline," the ministry said in a statement.

The decision follows the publication by media outlets on Tuesday of a video dated May 18 from the northern state of Tamaulipas that showed about a dozen troops surrounding a truck after it crashed into a wall at high speed.

The video shows the soldiers pulling five occupants from the vehicle with kicks and punches before pushing them against a wall. One soldier is seen removing a long gun from the truck. The troops then appear to take cover and shoot into the distance at unseen targets, before shooting the men.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said at a press conference earlier this week that the killings appeared to have been an "execution."

Legal representatives for the soldiers could not immediately be reached for comment.

(Reporting by Carolina Pulice and Diego Ore; Editing by Andrea Ricci)