Mexico: more than 300 migrants are found crammed into trucks

USA: More than 14,000 immigrant minors, in custody 1:53

(CNN Spanish) -

The Mexican government reported on Friday that more than 300 Central American migrants, 114 of whom were unaccompanied minors, were found in "overcrowded conditions" on Thursday in three trucks in the south of the country.

The vehicles were detected on Thursday on a highway in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, in Chiapas, by agents of the National Migration Institute (INM) and members of the National Guard, both entities reported in a joint statement.

In total, 329 people were found, of which the majority came from Guatemala, according to the statement.

He added that the rest were from Honduras, and that they could not verify their status of regular stay in Mexico.

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Unaccompanied minors and people in the family nucleus were placed under the guardianship of the System for the Integral Development of the Family (DIF) and the adults were referred to the Cupapé immigration station to "start their immigration administrative procedure."

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The statement affirmed that the three truck drivers were placed at the disposal of the authorities for the possible crime of human trafficking, but did not explain whether they had legal representation or how they declared themselves before the accusations.

The discovery of the Central American migrants was made just hours before the Mexican government announced that it would deploy immigration agents and security forces with the aim of "safeguarding migrant children," according to the INM in another statement on Friday.

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The government reported on Friday that it would carry out operations on the southern border for 30 days to "safeguard the rights and integrity of migrant minors from different Central American nations."

The INM pointed out that between January 1 and last Thursday they had identified 4,180 accompanied and unaccompanied girls, boys and adolescents, who were traveling irregularly through Mexican territory.

He added that so-called "guides" take them to the United States.