Mexico 'Jueves Negro' Terrorism Trial Stalls Over Witness Shortage

Eight days after the opening of the terrorism trial stemming from the August 11, 2022 "Jueves Negro" attack in Ciudad Juárez, the Federal Prosecutor's Office (FGR) is struggling to meet its schedule for hearing witnesses. The case targets Juan Carlos V. and Jorge Antonio C. B., accused of setting fire to a personnel‑transport truck that resulted in multiple injuries and is being prosecuted as a terrorist act.

The prosecution had promised to call 132 witnesses, averaging about 12 per hearing, but the latest session featured only seven testimonies, including a survivor of the MegaRadio workers' attack, technical experts, and public officials. To date roughly 75 witnesses have been heard, while 43 remain unlocated among the 132 initially listed. The presiding judge, Victoria Alejandra Espinoza Alaniz, ordered a three‑hour recess and urged the prosecutors to secure additional witnesses to keep the trial on track.