Mexican authorities find more than 300 migrants smuggled in truck

In two separate incidents, Mexico’s National Immigration Institute (INM) on Sunday found 303 undocumented migrants being smuggled in cargo trucks and a tractor-trailer.

The migrants rescued by Mexican immigration authorities said they were from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Cuba, and India.

According to the Mexican government agency, the first encounter took place on the Orizaba-Puebla highway at a control checkpoint. The driver of the cargo truck, which was accompanied by a white pickup truck, was pulled over.

"When checking the cargo box, 107 foreigners from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba, and Nicaragua were found, who could not prove their regular stay in national territory," the Institute explained in a statement. 

Among this group were 37 adults, 20 unaccompanied minors and 21 families made up of 50 other individuals. The INM said that the unaccompanied migrant minors and the identified families were transferred to the System for the Integral Development of the Family (DIF).

The children were also reported to the Office of the Attorney General for the Defense of Minors in Veracruz, in southern Mexico, while the adults were taken to immigration offices to complete the corresponding immigration procedures.

Meanwhile, the six people who were transporting the undocumented migrants in the cargo truck were prosecuted and the custodians of the white van were placed in the custody of the Attorney General's Office in the state. The vehicles were also seized.

In a second incident, Mexican authorities detected a tractor-trailer improperly parked on a road near Fortín de las Flores.

When authorities inspected the vehicle they found 196 people inside. They were all foreigners who were also unable to prove their legal stay in the country.

After the immigration inspection and the corresponding count, the INM revealed that five adults were from Guatemala and another five from India. Another 19 were unaccompanied children and adolescents and the remaining 167 were part of 70 family groups.

All of these migrants were also transferred to the DIF, while the elderly were taken to the Migration Institute for the corresponding immigration procedures.

"In this case, there were no persons detained," the INM said, adding that the tractor-trailer was seized by Mexican authorities.