First arrests made after Saturday's bloody stadium brawl

The Attorney General's Office of the Mexican State of Querétaro announced on Tuesday that 14 people were arrested over their alleged involvement in Saturday’s bloody brawl between supporters of Gallos Blancos and Atlas – both teams in the Mexican premier league – that left more than two dozen injured.

Following the arrest of ten suspects on Tuesday, Mexican authorities issued warrants for the arrest of 12 more suspected assailants – and according to a statement from the Querétaro prosecutor's office, one of the arrests was made with the help of a mother who turned her son over to authorities.

En total ya suman 14 órdenes de aprehensión cumplimentadas. Una de ellas se cumplimentó con el apoyo de una madre que trajo a su hijo para presentarlo ante la PID. Las detenciones se realizaron en los municipios de Querétaro, Colón y El Marqués.

Ver más: https://t.co/eY9IxjdFur pic.twitter.com/ud6ES4ge56

— Fiscalía Querétaro (@fiscaliaqro) March 8, 2022

Previously, the attorney general of Queretaro, Alejandro Echeverria, reported that during the early hours of Tuesday morning 10 people were arrested in an operation involving two hundred police officers who carried out more than a dozen raids in different areas of the city. But although 26 arrest warrants have so far been issued, Echeverria noted that “there are still culprits to be identified.”

“Hay 10 detenidos de los 26 que buscábamos con orden de aprehensión; vamos a seguir con la búsqueda. Las redes sociales juegan un papel muy importante. Hicimos un trabajo intenso; Revisamos alrededor de 500 videos”.

Entrevista con Alejandro Echeverría, titular de @fiscaliaqro pic.twitter.com/q3mvivtCDZ

— Azteca Noticias (@AztecaNoticias) March 8, 2022

But criminal sanctions are not the only ones expected to hit Querétaro and Mexican soccer authorities announced on Tuesday that they were exploring punitive measures in response to the violence that broke out in the stands of the Corregidora stadium.

Although the teams won’t be expelled from the league, the Disciplinary Commission -- the body responsible for imposing sanctions in local soccer – has ordered that Gallos Blancos play its home games without spectators for one year. Fans, on the other hand, will not be allowed to attend away games for upwards of three years.  

Similarly – and independently of sanctions – the club’s owners also decided that fan sections from visiting teams will no longer be allowed access to the stadium and agreed to roll out a program to identify violent fans.

"It is imperative that these events are not repeated," said Liga MX president Mikel Arriola.