On January 17th, 2021, Mexican authorities arrested the owner of the San Rafael Mine, where ten miners died in a flooded shaft last year. The owner, Gustavo Rivera González, faces charges of involuntary manslaughter.
The incident occurred last February when workers were working underground when a shaft began to flood due to heavy rainfall in the area. Ten miners were trapped and died in the flooding. Following the incident, authorities shut down the mine and seized equipment, which allegedly belonged to Rivera González.
Former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador accused Rivera of negligence and argued the he would have been able to prevent the tragedy had he taken proper safety precautions. Rivera now faces up to ten years in prison if convicted of the charges.