After 9 years: 8 soldiers arrested for kidnapping students in Mexico Malaria infections in US for first time in 20 years

This was announced on Twitter by Secretary of State of the Ministry of the Interior, Alejandro Encinas, on Monday (local time). The soldiers would have participated in the kidnapping. Four other members of the armed forces are already in custody, including a commander who allegedly ordered the murder of six of the young men. Arrest warrants have been issued for eight other soldiers.

On the night of September 27, 2014, corrupt police officers kidnapped the students of the Ayotzinapa teacher training college in the city of Iguala and handed them over to the criminal syndicate Guerreros Unidos. The background of the fact has not yet been fully clarified. So far, only bone fragments from three of the young men have been found and identified.

In August last year, a truth commission described the act as a state crime and declared the students dead. Dozens of Guerreros Unidos members, police officers and officials were arrested. The then Attorney General allegedly manipulated the investigation to close the case quickly. He is also accused of condoning torture and complicity in the disappearance of the students. (sda/dpa)