Authorities in the Mexican border state of Chihuahua have made a significant seizure, apprehending a semi-truck and detaining its driver for allegedly smuggling 257 migrants from different countries to the U.S. border.
Agents from the National Migration Institute transported the migrants to facilities in Juarez last Friday, as stated by the Mexican Defense Ministry (SEDENA). Photographs released by Mexican authorities depict the migrants going through processing, receiving water, and undergoing an initial screening under a large tent. Additionally, the images reveal the migrants residing in cramped quarters inside trailer boxes.
According to Chihuahua Public Safety Secretary Gilberto Loya, a number of migrants in the trailer hailed from African countries. This information was shared on Monday.
According to Loya, the Mexican Attorney General’s Office had received advance information about the semi-truck and its cargo. As a result, they promptly informed the local authorities, army, and National Guard.
According to him, there is a concern that transnational criminal organizations are hastily facilitating the migration of individuals across the border in anticipation of President-Elect Trump assuming office in January in the United States.
According to Loya, it is not a common occurrence in our state for smugglers to transport people in a trailer box, treating them like mere cargo. This peculiar method may suggest that organized criminal groups are intensifying their efforts in human trafficking.
According to the official, it is not the first instance of African migrants being discovered while en route to the border. In fact, the state police have rescued several individuals from “kidnapping situations” in the past.
According to Loya, the state police received information that there were approximately 150 migrants in the double trailer, including 57 children. State officials later redirected additional inquiries to the Mexican army.
