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How an extortion ring in a Juárez detention center led to migrants’ deaths

Thirty-nine migrants died in a detention center in Ciudad Juárez last month, as the result of a fire set during a protest.

New reporting from Luis Chaparro finds those migrants were only in that center to begin with because of an extortion scheme. According to Chaparro, officials would detain migrants and lock them up in that center. Those who could afford to would pay to be released.

Chaparro is a journalist based at the U.S.-Mexico border who wrote this story for Vice News. He joined The Show to break down exactly what the extortion scheme entailed.

More stories from KJZZ

Mark Brodie is a co-host of The Show, KJZZ’s locally produced news magazine. Since starting at KJZZ in 2002, Brodie has been a host, reporter and producer, including several years covering the Arizona Legislature, based at the Capitol.