They found 343 migrants abandoned in a cargo truck in Mexico

(CNN Spanish) – Mexican authorities found 343 migrants abandoned inside a cargo truck on a highway in the state of Veracruz, Sunday, the National Institute of Migration said in a statement.

The agency indicated that 103 unaccompanied minors were traveling in the car, most of them from Guatemala. There were also 212 adults from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Ecuador, as well as 28 immigrants making up multiple families from Guatemala and El Salvador.

Authorities reported that the abandoned truck, without a driver, was located on the highway connecting the towns of Cosamaloapan and La Tenajá in Veracruz.

They added that it was detected that there were people in the cargo compartment, which contains two floors of metal structures, in addition to fans installed in the lower part and hatches in the ceiling.

According to the National Institute of Identity, the immigrants who were found were wearing colored bracelets as a means of identification.

The agency notes that 103 unaccompanied minors and 28 who form the nucleus of the family will be under the guardianship of the State System for the Integrated Development of the Family (SDIF). For their part, those of legal age will be subjected to administrative procedures to determine their legal status within Mexican territory.

The institute stated that the operation was carried out in coordination with the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.