Foreign Ministry will continue to assist the family of Gabriel Cuén Buitimea in the criminal case related to his murder in Nogales, Arizona

The Foreign Ministry will continue to assist the family of Mexican citizen, Gabriel Cuén Buitimea, in the criminal case related to his murder in Nogales, Arizona

• A Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge declared a mistrial after the jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision regarding the alleged responsibility of American citizen George Alan Kelly in the case.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to follow up on the case of Mexican citizen Gabriel Cuén Buitimea, who was murdered on January 30, 2023 in Nogales, Arizona, by providing timely accompaniment to the victim's family.

The trial brought before the Santa Cruz County Superior Court ended in a mistrial after the eight jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict regarding the alleged responsibility of American citizen George Alan Kelly, accused of second-degree murder and aggravated assault.

During the 19 days of hearings, the jury found that Gabriel Cuén Buitimea, an immigrant, was unarmed when he was shot in the back by a bullet from an AK-47 rifle while walking on Mr. Kelly's property.

During the trial, the Santa Cruz prosecution presented solid evidence through witnesses and forensic medicine, telephone records, ballistics and genetics. However, the arguments made by both sides were insufficient for the jury to reach a conclusion on the facts.

The Foreign Ministry will closely follow the next steps taken by the prosecutor's office to ensure that the murder of a Mexican national does not go unpunished, and to ensure that due process is done in order to provide justice to the victims in the case.