Judge Gunned Down in Mexico

MEXICO CITY – Federal judge Vicente Antonio Bermudez Zacharias has been assassinated outside of his home in Metepec town in the central State of Mexico, and the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR) has assumed the investigation into the murder.

Bermudez, 37, was the fifth district judge of Amparo and presided over federal civil trials based in Toluca since December 2013. He was attacked on Monday morning and died from single gunshot wound, official sources told EFE.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has condemned the murder while leading the annual meeting of the International Association of Judges and ordered the PGR to take charge of the investigation and find the perpetrators.

The PGR announced that based on the rules of competency established by the National Code of Criminal Procedures, the office will take on the investigation into the homicide of federal judge Antonio Vicente Bermudez Zacharias.

“From this moment, the delegation of the PGR in the State of Mexico will continue with all the investigations,” the PGR said in a statement.

The Supreme Court of Justice also condemned the crime, demanding that authorities investigate and resolve the case, as well as ensure “conditions of security and tranquility” so that judges can continue to carry out their work independently.

Meanwhile, State of Mexico Governor Eruviel Avila revealed the existence of a video showing the attack on Judge Bermudez, while giving the federal government full support to investigate the crime and find those responsible.

The video was later broadcast by local media, with footage showing the judge jogging on the street on Monday when a person suddenly appears behind him and shoots him in the head.

Bermudez presided over controversial cases including that of indigenous environmental activist Ildefonso Zamora, who endured 9 months in jail for his alleged involvement in a robbery but was released by Bermudez last June amid insufficient evidence.