Mexican authorities have arrested 315 suspected human traffickers this year for smuggling undocumented migrants towards the US border, according to the National Migration Institute (INM). These arrests occurred between January 1 and October 15 in 13 Mexican states as part of a coordinated effort between the INM and state authorities.
UN Refugee Agency and Mexican government estimates suggest that between 3,000 and 6,000 migrants have been arriving daily at the US-Mexico border since August, straining migrant shelters, cities along the migration route, and immigration facilities.
Furthermore, officials seized 339 vehicles used by traffickers, including “dry box trailers with concealed false floors to evade X-ray detection,” as stated by the INM.
In recent years, the flow of migrants escaping poverty in South and Central America, as well as southern Mexico, has surged, leading to an immigration crisis at the US-Mexico border.
The US Department of Homeland Security reported that Border Patrol apprehended over 200,000 migrants unlawfully crossing the US-Mexico border in September, the highest monthly total this year. This figure also represents the highest since December 2022 when more than 222,000 migrants were apprehended.