Mexico probes 4 marines found protecting Russian migrants

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s Navy said Wednesday it has placed four marines under investigation after they were allegedly found providing protection for a group of undocumented Russian migrants.

The Navy said the four marines were assigned temporarily to the quasi-military National Guard when the incident occurred.

It said in a statement that the four officers were found “escorting” a vehicle carrying two Russians in the Pacific coast port city of Salina Cruz, in the southern state of Oaxaca.

Investigations later led to a group of 12 other Russians at a local hotel. Presumably the Russians did not have necessary immigration documents.

In the past, Mexican immigration agents and police have been found either illegally allowing migrants into the country in exchange for bribes, or ‘escorting’ them through the country, usually to allow them to reach the U.S. border.