Authorities on Monday found 229 migrants crammed into an impounded truck in Xalapa, the capital of the Gulf coast state of Veracruz.
The truck — which had been reported as stolen — was intercepted by police on Monday around 45 kilometers southeast of Xalapa and subsequently taken to an impound lot in the state capital.
The discovery of the migrants only occurred after workers at the impound lot heard shouting and banging from inside the trailer.
One employee told the Associated Press (AP) that they called emergency services to open the trailer once they realized that people were trapped inside.
José Manuel Pozos, deputy governance minister in the Veracruz government, attended the scene and told reporters that most of the migrants were from Central American countries. Among them were 17 minors.
Pozos said that the migrants, in general, were “all well,” although some of them were suffering from dehydration. The official noted that the driver of the vehicle had been detained.
The migrants were reportedly taken to state police barracks in Xalapa. Many will likely be deported to their countries of origin, including Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
Veracruz is located along the shortest route to the United States from Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala, where migrants from Central America and further afield commonly enter the country. It was unclear where the 229 migrants found on Monday commenced their journey or how long they had been crammed into the trailer.
On numerous previous occasions, Mexican authorities have found migrants traveling through the country in trucks. However, the discovery on Monday was the first of its kind in months, according to AP.
The number of migrants attempting to reach the Mexico-U.S. border and subsequently enter the United States — legally or illegally — has decreased since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025. The Trump administration has taken various measures to secure the border and prevent the entry of migrants. AP reported on Monday that “while migration levels have taken a nose dive over the past year, migration north appears to be slowly picking up again.”
The journey to the United States from southern Mexico is notoriously dangerous for migrants. Among the risks are becoming victims of crime, being forcibly recruited by cartels and falling off northbound freight trains, collectively referred to as “La Bestia” (The Beast).
In late 2021, at least 55 migrants were killed when the truck they were traveling in overturned on a highway in the southern state of Chiapas.
Mexican authorities frequently detain migrants traveling through Mexico and hold them in detention centers until they are deported or given permission to remain in Mexico.
In March 2023, a fire in a Ciudad Juárez detention center claimed the lives of 40 migrants.
With reports from AP, DW, EFE, Reforma and La Jornada
