On July 16, Mexican officials prevented more than 500 migrants from being transported to the United States due to their crackdown on unsafe and illegal transportation methods. The National Institute of Migration of Mexico reported that among these migrants, 206 were discovered trapped inside an abandoned trailer. This incident occurred in the town of Puente Nacional, Veracruz.
According to local sources, the migrants crammed inside the vehicle were compelled to ingest substances to cope with the extremely confined space. Mexican authorities reported that the majority of these migrants, including women and children wearing identification bracelets, originated from Honduras and Guatemala. Among them, 132 were part of family units, with three groups consisting of 12 Hondurans each.
The migration agency clarified that, upon being rescued, the migrants informed Mexican border officials that they had endured cramped conditions and dehydration. They further revealed that the substance they were coerced to ingest was a medication designed to suppress essential bodily needs for an extended period.
The agency reported that family units and minors were formally transferred to the Mexican National System of Integral Family Development, while the adults were taken to the agency’s facilities to undergo proper immigration procedures.
Additionally, the migration institute observed that the interior of the trailer was altered with airtight material to evade X-ray detection at border security checkpoints. The human traffickers eventually deserted the truck, and the driver escaped. Subsequently, the vehicle was handed over to the office of Mexico’s Attorney General in Veracruz.
Various sources indicate that Mexican authorities are presently handling the processing of the migrants. There is a possibility that they might be repatriated to their Central American home countries within the coming days. However, a significant number of these migrants assert that returning is not an option for them, as they fled their nations due to security or political concerns. They express their intention to reach the United States and seek political asylum there.
