The minors found were found in an abandoned truck along with 212 unrelated adults in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz. It is the highest number of migrant children found traveling through Mexico in recent times.
Authorities in Mexico found an abandoned truck carrying 103 unaccompanied minors, making it the biggest discovery of migrant children traveling through Mexico in recent times.
The minors were traveling without adult relatives and were part of a group of 343 migrants from Central and South America, the National Migration Institute (INM) said in a statement on Monday.
Along with the migrant 103 children, authorities also found 212 adults from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Ecuador in the trailer, the National Migration Institute (INM) said. Another 28 migrants were found traveling as families in the vehicle.
The migrants were found safe wearing color-coded bracelets that were apparently used for identifying them as smugglers’ clients.
While the migrant children will be sent into custody of Veracruz’s family services system, the adult migrants will undergo the process of determining their legal status in Mexico, INM said.
The trailer was found without a driver in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz, the INM said. It was customized with an extra floor to fit more people and had fans and ventilation ports in the roof.
