The university didn’t have additional information, so their desperation led them to search hospitals. They ultimately found them at the Forensic Medical Service where they were left beaten and disfigured.

“Nine years later, the military came to our home to offer us money for funeral expenses. We were furious,” said Mercado Alonso. “All I wanted was to clear Jorge and Javier’s names because they had been falsely accused of being criminals armed to the teeth.”

Due to the persistence of the families, the support of activist groups, and the work of UN Human Rights, the government issued a public apology, and in December 2024, a sentence was upheld against five Army members responsible for altering the crime scene. For Jesús Arredondo Rodríguez, Javier’s uncle, the sentence and the apology represented progress, but not full justice.

Risking it all

The deployment of the Armed Forces in public security tasks has also shaped the case of Armando Humberto del Bosque Villarreal, who was forcibly disappeared in 2013 by members of the Navy in Nuevo León. His father, Humberto del Bosque Gutiérrez, a lawyer and mining entrepreneur, abandoned his professional life to dedicate himself to seeking justice.

“From the very day my son disappeared, I received death threats from the commander of the regiment who is now in prison,” said Del Bosque Gutiérrez.

Armando, who worked with his father, reported threats from a neighbour without knowing that he had police connections. Shortly after, he was arbitrarily detained, disappeared and executed by members of the Navy.

“The Navy, instead of investigating, protected the criminals and disappeared my son,” said Del Bosque Gutiérrez.

More than a decade later, a sentence was handed down against the Navy officers responsible for the enforced disappearance, a significant achievement in a country with an impunity rate of 98%.

“The Nuevo Laredo Human Rights Committee has supported me, and UN Human Rights’ advocacy has been fundamental in the case of my son," said Del Bosque Gutiérrez.

Jesús Peña Palacios, Deputy Representative of UN Human Rights in Mexico, said that the Office has played a key role in both cases, bringing international human rights standards to judicial proceedings and defending the rights of the victims’ families, while also using its voice to amplify their fight for justice.

A failed war on drugs and its victims

“Mexico, and particularly Monterrey, during the years of the so called ‘war on drugs’, were extremely hostile places for young people. They were killing us in ways we had never seen before,” said Alejandra Ortiz, a human rights defender from Coahuila and activist with Todxs Somos Jorge y Javier (We all are Jorge and Javier).

This collective, made up of former students and concerned citizens, supports the families’ struggle under the slogan: “Without memory, there is no justice, and without justice, there is no peace.” Ortiz stressed the importance of remembering these cases to prevent history from repeating itself.

Peña Palacios explained that violence in northeastern Mexico intensified due to conflicts between cartels operating in the region.

“The government deployed the Armed Forces in public security tasks,” he said. “However, far from reducing violence, this strategy led to serious human rights violations.”

According to UN Human Rights, the lack of civilian oversight and effective accountability mechanisms has allowed impunity to prevail in most cases.

“The northeastern region of Mexico has been one of the most affected by a security model that has been widely questioned by various international human rights mechanisms,” said Peña Palacios. “Mexico must move towards professionalising its police forces and ensuring the gradual withdrawal of the Armed Forces from public security roles.”

The struggle for full justice

In these two cases, the main progress has been in the pursuit of justice and the perseverance of memory, thanks to the admirable tenacity of the families, said Peña Palacios.

“However, challenges remain as sentences only reach lower-ranking perpetrators, comprehensive reparation has yet to be provided, and effective measures to ensure non-repetition are still pending,” he added.

According to Peña Palacios, the pursuit of justice in Mexico presents additional challenges when members of the Armed Forces commit serious human rights violations, and there has even been a tendency to alter crime scenes or cover up those responsible, both individuals and institutions.

“Victims are often stigmatized and criminalised, with claims that they had links to criminal organisations,” he said. “Investigations are not carried out with the diligence, thoroughness, and independence that the severity of the conduct warrants.”

Peña Palacios stated that, in their search for justice, the families of Jorge, Javier, and Armando have found strength to demand truth and reparation, facing lengthy judicial processes and, at times, the indifference of the State.