Retired Judge Arrested in Connection to 2014 Disappearance of 43 Mexican Students

In a significant development in the long-standing case surrounding the disappearance of 43 students in Mexico, a retired judge has been arrested for allegedly tampering with crucial evidence.

Police detained 79-year-old Lambertina Galeana Marín, former president of the Superior Tribunal of Justice in Guerrero, in the city of Chilpancingo. She faces accusations of orchestrating the deletion of vital CCTV footage, which is believed to be key to understanding the events of the night the students vanished on September 26, 2014. The footage was reportedly lost after law enforcement officials sought it nearly a year following the students' disappearance.

The case has haunted families and the nation for years, bringing widespread outrage and demand for accountability. The students, who were from the Ayotzinapa teacher training college, were reportedly abducted by police in collaboration with members of the Guerreros Unidos crime group while attempting to commandeer buses for an annual protest in Mexico City.

Despite numerous investigations, only three of the students' remains have been recovered, with the fate of the remaining 40 still unknown, although they are presumed dead. A 2022 report by a government-formed truth commission indicated the case involved state-sponsored crimes with the collusion of law enforcement and criminal gangs.

Galeana's arrest is viewed as a crucial step toward justice, as families of the missing students continue to call for answers and accountability in a case that represents broader issues of systemic corruption and violence in Mexico. Following the arrest, the Mexican Ministry of Security has communicated that Galeana will face charges related to forced disappearance, further intensifying public interest in the ongoing investigation into the students' fate.