Kate Ng, The Independent, January 9, 2020

A Mexican man has died after slitting his own throat when he was denied entry to the US, according to Mexican officials.

The incident occurred on the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge across the Rio Grande on Wednesday, as the unidentified man in his 30s attempted to enter the US from the Mexican border city of Reynosa.

Officials said the man, who was an asylum seeker, died by “suicide” around 5pm local time, according to Reuters.

A short video reportedly shared by a Mexican security source showed the man approaching US officials on the bridge and raising a hand to his neck.

Photos shared by a second security source showed the man lying in a pool of blood. He was just metres away from the international dividing line.

Reuters said it could not vouch for the authenticity of the video or photographs, and that it remained unclear why the man killed himself.

An investigation into the man’s death has been launched by the attorney general’s office for the state of Tamaulipas, where Reynosa is.

Many Mexicans who seek asylum in the US experience violence and crime from gangs that have made life in some parts of the country increasingly perilous.

Donald Trump announced a crackdown on immigration at the US-Mexico frontier as one of his administration’s top priorities.

On the other side of the border from Reynosa is Pharr, Texas. The bridge also serves over 40,000 commercial trucks carrying items such as fruit, vegetables and machine parts every day.