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BISBEE — The State Department on Wednesday confirmed receipt of a diplomatic note from the Mexican government protesting the shooting death of an illegal border crosser near Naco, but said it was withholding response pending the outcome of an investigation.
“It’s something that I understand the FBI is conducting an investigation into and obviously, we’d leave it to them and to the Border Patrol to determine what, if any, response is appropriate based on that investigation,” Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said after being asked about the note at a daily press briefing.
The note, presented by the Mexican Embassy in Washington on Tuesday, relayed “the Mexican government’s firm condemnation” of the shooting of 22-year-old Francisco Javier Dominguez-Rivera last Friday and demanded the U.S. conduct “an exhaustive investigation” and punish whoever is responsible.
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Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Mexico’s Foreign Relations Secretariat had previously condemned the shooting.
Casey said he believed Mexico’s government is aware the FBI is investigating the incident.
The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, however, has thus far served as the lead agency in the investigation.
Sheriff’s investigators concluded witness interviews this week, and county medical examiner Dr. Guery Flores on Wednesday performed an autopsy on Dominguez-Rivera.
Sheriff’s spokeswoman Carol Capas said she expected to release the results of the investigation later this week or early next week.
Dominguez-Rivera, 22, originally from the central state of Puebla, was shot and killed during a confrontation with the unidentified Border Patrol agent after the agent responded to a call about seven people, including Dominguez-Rivera and his two brothers, crossing the desert between Naco and Douglas.
As the agent was taking the group into custody, he was reportedly hit or pushed by Dominguez-Rivera.
The agent, who thought his life was in danger, shot and killed the man, the Border Patrol said.
The agent, who works out of the Naco Border Patrol station, is on paid administrative leave while the case is pending.
Mexican consular personnel have met with Dominguez-Rivera’s brothers and the four other illegal migrants, who are being held in a detention center, in an effort to obtain their version of Friday’s events, Mexico’s Foreign Relations Secretariat said in a news release.
Consular officials also are prepared to “support the start of any legal actions on behalf of the family of the deceased,” the release said, without elaborating.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Bill Stein wrote on Nov 22, 2008 7:45 PM: