(Mexico) The Mexican government announced on Saturday that it had intercepted 688 migrants of different nationalities during two operations carried out in the state of Puebla, in the center of the country.
Posted at 12:11 a.m.
The National Institute for Migration (INM) said in a statement that it had identified “during two operations carried out in Puebla 688 migrants of different nationalities, including 150 minors”.
Of the migrants, 514 were from Guatemala, 79 from Honduras, 40 from Nicaragua, 37 from El Salvador, 15 from Cuba and three from El Salvador, INM said. 567 of them were in a hotel, while 121 were intercepted on a bus.
The authorities arrested “four people for their probable responsibility in the offense of human trafficking”, added the INM.
The minors were taken care of by the System for the Integral Development of the Family (DIF), a Mexican public institution for social assistance. The adults were transferred to migration posts to continue their administrative procedures, the INM said.
Every year, thousands of people from different countries seek to reach the United States, fleeing poverty and violence. On their way through Mexico, they are often victims of extortion from Mexican authorities and criminal gangs.
Since 2014, about 6,430 people have died or gone missing en route to the United States, according to the International Organization for Migration.