The recent mass kidnapping of at least 10 Colombian migrants in Mexico has prompted an urgent alert from the Mexican government as well as from Colombian authorities. The migrants were believed to have been on the road between San Luis Río Colorado and Sonora, en route to the United States, when they were kidnapped. This news comes only one week after the rescue of 65 migrants, including nine Colombians, who had been kidnapped in the northern city of Sonoyta, Sonora.
Christian Cortés, a Colombian migrant, alerted organizations in the United States that his relatives were among the victims of the most recent kidnapping. He attempted to contact the Colombian consulate in New York and Mexican authorities, including the National Guard, the Beta group, and the Sonoyta Police, but has yet to receive a response.
Unfortunately, such kidnappings are not uncommon on the path of migrants to the United States. Criminals often communicate with the relatives of the victims via cell phone, demanding large sums of money and sending evidence of how they beat or assault migrants. In the end of February, the Mexican Secretariat for Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) and Colombian authorities rescued a family of eight Colombians, including four minors, who had been kidnapped in Sonora.
The Foreign Ministry has stated that they are following up on the case and are awaiting an official response on what happened. The tragic events of the past week have sparked great alarm for the safety of migrants in Mexico, and have highlighted the urgent need for greater protection for vulnerable migrants in the country.