Mexico discovers nearly 500 migrants illegally detained

Venezuelan migrants arrive in the town of San Pedro Tapanatepec, Oaxaca state, Mexico

On August 4, Mexican authorities discovered 491 migrants being illegally detained in a house in the central state of Puebla. Of these, 485 were Guatemalan.

According to Mexico's Immigration Institute (INM), more than half of the Guatemalans detained were children and minors traveling with their parents. The remaining six victims were Hondurans.

The group of migrants has now been transferred to a nearby INM accommodation facility, where they are provided with food, water and medical care.

At the end of June, authorities also discovered 129 Guatemalan migrants crammed into a truck in the eastern state of Veracruz.

Previously, in May, Mexico also discovered 175 illegal immigrants in Chiapas state, most of whom were migrants from Central America.

Migrants from troubled regions of Latin America often pay smugglers to take them to Mexico in an attempt to enter the U.S. Some migrants must travel through areas with high rates of violence and drugs, making them vulnerable to involvement with criminal organizations.

According to the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of migrants currently staying at the border area between the two countries has decreased by more than 50% in the period of May-June, after Article 42 of the immigration policy applied by the US during the Covid-19 pandemic expired.

According to Vietnam+