(CNN Spanish) –– Mexican authorities found 343 abandoned migrants inside a cargo truck on a highway in the state of Veracruz this Sunday, the National Institute of Migration (INM) reported in a statement.
The agency indicated that 103 unaccompanied minors were traveling in the vehicle, mostly from Guatemala. There were also 212 adults from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Ecuador, as well as 28 migrants who make up multiple households from Guatemala and El Salvador.
The authorities reported that the abandoned truck, without a driver, was located on the highway that connects the towns of Cosamaloapan and La Tinaja, in Veracruz.
In addition, they added that the presence of people was detected in the cargo compartment, which had a double deck of metal structures, as well as fans anchored in the lower part and vents on the ceiling.
According to the INM, the migrants found were wearing colored bracelets as a means of identification.
The agency points out that the 103 unaccompanied minors and the 28 that make up the family nuclei will be under the guardianship of the State’s System for the Integral Development of the Family (SDIF). For their part, those of legal age will be submitted to the administrative process to define their legal status within Mexican territory.
The institute said that the operation was carried out in coordination with the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Attorney General’s Office.
