July 30 (UPI) — Mexican authorities rescued 178 migrants abandoned in an trailer in the Veracruz state of Mexico, the country’s National Institute for Migration said.
The men, women and children were en route to the United States but the vehicle was abandoned by the driver after it crashed, officials said. Responding police heard screams from inside the trailer Saturday.
Some migrants were injured and had signs of asphyxia, the National Institute for Migration said.
The migrants were taken to the nearby town Tantima, about 400 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. Authorities were processing them for return to their respective countries.
Residents of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador fleeing violence and poverty go through Veracruz on their way to the United States.
In December, 110 migrants from Central and South America were found trapped inside a trailer in Veracruz.
Last Sunday, 36 migrants were found in a trailer in San Antonio. Eight were founded dead and two died later.
