By Natalia Rueda 
Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) announced the discovery of a total of 303 migrants who were being transported in unsafe conditions throughout the country, and arrested those allegedly responsible for transporting and guarding them.
The Mexican government agency reported that the first arrest took place on the Orizaba-Puebla highway, during a verification operation. There were 107 migrants, 37 adults, 20 unaccompanied minors, and 21 families totaling 50 more individuals. The migrants were nationals of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba, and Nicaragua, and could not provide documentations of their presence in Mexican territory. Unaccompanied minors and family groups were referred to the System for the Integral Development of the Family (DIF), while the adults were taken to immigration offices.
In a separate incident near Fortín de las Flores, authorities discovered a trailer containing 196 people claiming to be migrants but unable to prove their legal status in Mexico, including five from Guatemala, five from India, 19 unaccompanied minors, and 70 families made up of 167 people. These children and their families were channeled to the DIF, while the elderly were taken to INM facilities. Those responsible for transporting the migrants in the truck and the van were arrested and the vehicles were taken over by federal authorities.
The discovery of these migrants and the conditions in which they were found highlight the risk to human life posed by smugglers on their way to the United States. The inability of migrants to have regular documentation in Mexican and the US territories and the lax enforcement of immigration laws contribute to this humanitarian crisis. The Mexican government must take stronger measures to ensure the safety of these immigrants while they are in Mexican territory and provide safe and legal alternatives for all.