Mother of slain Mexican teen sues U.S. Border Patrol agents

2014-07-31 25

Lawyers representing the grieving mother of a teenager killed by U.S. border police are striking back.

They've filed a federal civil rights lawsuit, accusing border patrol agents of violating the constitutional rights of Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez.

The mother, Araceli Rodriguez Salazar, is confident in the case.

(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MOTHER OF DECEASED TEENAGER, ARACELI RODRIGUEZ SALAZAR, SAYING:

"I believe that there must be justice. I don't see why there shouldn't be. As I said before, you don't need to be intelligent to know that a murder was committed and the U.S. Border Patrol needs to pay for what they did. Therefore, I am calm because I know that the case will go on and on and it will take years, but I know that one day we will have justice."

An autopsy by Mexican authorities showed that Rodriguez was shot seven times.

Border patrol has said agents were responding in October 2012 to reports of drug trafficking.

That's when they opened