New mass kidnapping of migrants in Mexico: 9 of the 50 missing located between San Luis Potosí and Nuevo León

Fifty migrants and two drivers disappeared on Tuesday in the vicinity of Nuevo León, where they were traveling from San Luis Potosí, in a bus that was found abandoned in the municipality of Galeana, in the northern state. From the discovery of the vehicle, of the company EvaTours, the authorities of both States initiated an investigation that, so far, has resulted in the location of nine of the kidnapped foreigners, from Venezuela and Honduras. The men, between 18 and 35 years old, were on the road between Matehuala and Saltillo, at kilometer 73, where they were rescued by agents of the Civil Force.

The Secretary of Security of Nuevo León, Gerardo Palacios, confirmed on Tuesday afternoon the discovery of several of the missing people, all safe, who in turn confirmed the scene of the events and alleged that they had managed to escape from their captors in San Luis Potosí until they reached Nuevo León. "The National Guard bases its claim on satellite tracking that yields incontrovertible data," he said in relation to the location of the vehicle and the migrants. The rescued people were held captive in a home in Doctor Arroyo, in the State of Nuevo León, as specified by the Attorney General's Office of San Luis Potosí, according to the testimonies collected.

In addition, the institution has affirmed that they are combing the routes of the stretch of road where the bus allegedly disappeared, on the borders with the northern state. And he has also requested the support of the federal Migration Institute "so that migrants who enter the country with a transit permit can have an accompaniment in their journey throughout Mexico."

President López Obrador has referred to the event on Wednesday, during his daily morning conference. "It's being worked on. We can't say more for obvious reasons, but it's being worked on," he said. "Unfortunately, it is presented that there are gangs that kidnap, that is why we also [make] the appeal to the migrant brothers so that they do not allow themselves to be deceived, manipulated, by traffickers, by coyotes, by polleros," he concluded.

This is the second kidnapping and ransom in the Matehuala area in just a month and a half. On April 6, police located 35 missing migrants between San Luis Potosi and Guanajuato. 23 of the people rescued then had rented a van, of which the trail was lost in the vicinity of the place where they were found.

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