By Ricardo Lezama 
A birthday trip to Mexico turned into a devastating tragedy for a Chicano family from Chicago after a roadside shooting in the northern state of Durango left multiple family members dead and a 14-year-old boy critically injured.
The victims were identified as Vicente Peña Jr., 38, and Antonio “Tony” Fernandez, 44, both from Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, along with 22-year-old Jorge Eduardo Vargas Aguirre. The teenager, whose name has not been released, was severely injured and placed in a medically induced coma.
The family had traveled to Mexico to celebrate the teen’s birthday when the attack occurred near the town of Las Palmas, Durango. Authorities reported that the group was traveling in an SUV with Illinois license plates when they were ambushed, an incident linked to escalating violence in the region.
“I feel devastated because they wiped out my entire family,” said Vicente Peña, the father of Peña Jr. and the grandfather of the injured teen.
The attack, described by the family as a “massacre,” left lingering questions. Peña shared that his son had been shot four times in the head and once in the shoulder, while the other victims also sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
The family is urging authorities to allow the teen to be transported to the U.S. for advanced medical treatment. However, Mexican doctors have advised against the transfer due to the boy’s precarious condition. There is also the possibility that local authorities seek more time to unravel the mess associated with the killings.
Maria Elena Hernandez, the teen’s maternal grandmother, called for justice, saying, “My child is a studious boy. He is studying boxing. Thank God he will not leave us now, but they will no longer provide him with insurance.”
United Giving Hope, a non-profit organization, is working to support the family’s efforts to bring the teenager back to the U.S. for care. At the same time, the organization has warned the public about fraudulent fundraising accounts exploiting the family’s tragedy.
Fraud Allegations
Despite the scope of the tragedy, the family is also now the victim of fraud. An online account has mercilessly taken to asking for donations not actually heading to the family.
“Unfortunately, there are criminals in the U.S. who commit fraud. There is currently a fake account circulating that does not belong to the Peña family,” said Julie Contreras, a representative from United Giving Hope.
The family is also focused on returning Peña Jr. and Fernandez to Chicago for proper burials, with services anticipated in about two weeks.
Iron River
Despite strict gun laws in Mexico, the flow of weapons from the US to Mexico makes these crimes common. The flow is called “Iron River” and refers to the illegal flow of guns smuggled from the U.S. to Mexico, fueling cartel violence and thousands of deaths annually. Weak U.S. gun laws and cross-border trafficking have made high-powered weapons readily available to criminal groups. Stopping this deadly trade requires stronger regulations and binational cooperation.