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Chihuahua, a site of considerable drug-related violence. Brenda said her sons were
not involved in any criminal activity, but one had befriended a woman said to be the
girlfriend of a local drug trafficker. After receiving threats, Brenda’s son and his
brother decided to leave town, she said. But before they could leave, they were
gunned down in the parking lot of a bar.
Brenda traveled to Chihuahua to bury her sons. She said, “I [also] went to
investigate.… When I got [to the crime scene], there were still blood stains and
bone fragments of my sons.” Fighting back tears, she said, “I felt [one of my son’s]
presence saying, ‘Please, mom, take me from here … please bring me home.’” She
started to ask questions about the investigation and filed a formal complaint with
the Chihuahua state human rights commission. She hoped it would help bring
some attention to the case, even though local residents and the police warned her
to stop her inquiries, stating it was too risky for them to investigate the case.
When Brenda tried to return in June 2012 to her husband and two US-citizen children
in Dallas, Texas, Border Patrol apprehended her and referred her for criminal
prosecution for “illegal entry.” She said she tried to explain her fear of returning to
Chihuahua, but the agent just told her “sign here.” She was convicted, spent five
days in jail, and then (according to court documents) was returned voluntarily to
Mexico. A month later, she tried again by presenting a friend’s border-crossing permit
in El Paso and was charged with document fraud. Brenda said, “I described my fear. I
cried with immigration.” Her husband tried to get her a lawyer, but she said the
Border Patrol agent responded, “The lawyer can’t help you with nothing.” She was
convicted of document fraud, sentenced to nine days in jail, and deported by
expedited removal soon afterward, according to court documents.
In September 2012, Brenda tried to cross again and was criminally prosecuted and
convicted of illegal entry, as part of the “Retributive Justice Initiative.” She was
serving her 60-day sentence when we interviewed her, and she continued to
struggle with the trauma of what had happened to her: “Every time I close my eyes,
all I see is the photos of [my sons] shot and … in their caskets.” 177
177 Human Rights Watch interview with Brenda R. (pseudonym), Pecos, Texas, September 24, 2012; court documents from United
States v. [name withheld]. The assistant US attorney on this case declined to comment because he could not recall the case.
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