In photos: The security guards who terrorize migrants on La Bestia

Criminal complaints, testimonies and exclusive documents obtained by Univision reveal that in the last three years more than 300 migrants who were heading to the United States were attacked aboard the notorious train known as La Bestia (The Beast). Many of the victims blame armed guards from a mysterious security company, CUSAEM, operating on behalf of the State of Mexico.

Por:Univision

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Migrants headed for the United States were shot at by guards aboard La Bestia. The guards work for a security compnay called CUSAEM, managed by the government of the State of Mexico.

Sergio Rincón

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Two guards from the CUSAEM security firm told Univision that some guards are hired to shoot at migrants.

Sergio Rincón

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The CUSAEM guards are armed thanks to an official license from the government of the State of Mexico. The Mexican Army said it has sold more than 7,000 high caliber weapons to CUSAEM during the last ten years.

Peniley Ramírez

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A database compiled by Univision News shows CUSAEM has obtained security contracts with the government of President Enrique Peña Nieto for more than $200 million dollars.

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Dozens of groups have publicly asked the Mexican government to inspect or remove CUSAEM guards from the train tracks.

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The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that every year 140,000 migrants make the journey across Mexico in the hope of reaching the United States. A report by the Documentation Network of Migrant Defender Organizations found that hundreds of them have been attacked by train guards.

Peniley Ramírez

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Pedro Rafael is a Honduran migrant who survived an armed attack that occurred in April 2017. In his complaint he described that his assailants were uniformed and arrived in a patrol car when La Bestia was a few miles from Apizaco station in Tlaxcala, a small state in the center of the country.

Peniley Ramírez

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Non-profit shelters have supported migrants during their journey through Mexico. Many of the victims assaulted on The Beast have sought refuge to recover strength and heal their wounds.

Sergio Rincón