migration
More than 200 people extricated from trucks in Mexico
206 people were rescued from an abandoned truck in Mexico. photo
© —/INM/dpa
The people, including many minors, were locked in the truck. The driver is said to have fled.
The refugees from Guatemala and Honduras were discovered in the truck’s overcrowded trailer near the city of José Cardel in the state of Veracruz, the authorities said. They were imprisoned there. There may also have been fatalities if they had not been found in time.
The total of 206 migrants – including 20 unaccompanied minors – were dehydrated according to this information. According to their own statements, they had been given medication to avoid having to go to the toilet. The driver probably fled, it said without giving any possible reasons. Most migrants transiting through Mexico have the United States as their destination.
According to the authorities, the loading area of the truck had been provided with a metal structure in order to create more space with a mezzanine. A cover ensured that X-ray cameras could not capture anyone. Numerous people from other crisis-hit countries in the region, such as Haiti, Cuba and Venezuela, continue to dare to make the long and dangerous journey through Mexico. Poverty, violence and corruption usually prevail in the countries of origin.