The call is coming from inside…
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Mexican authorities discovered 229 migrants packed into the back of a truck on Monday in Veracruz, a state along the eastern coast known as a frequent route for migrants heading north to the United States. Officials said this is the first large-scale interception in months, signaling a possible increase in migration since US President Trump assumed office.
Jose Manuel Pozos, Veracruz’s deputy government secretary, explained that the migrants were found trapped in a truck reported stolen after they began calling for help from a police impound lot, according to the Associated Press. Most were from Central American countries, 17 were minors, and several were suffering from dehydration.
Veracruz has long been a passageway for migrants, who often face dangers from criminal gangs and cartels. To avoid authorities, smugglers frequently transport them in overcrowded trucks, creating hazardous conditions. Though such cases have been rare recently due to a decline in migration since Trump took office, the discovery indicates the trend may be shifting.
An employee at the Xalapa vehicle impound lot described how the trailer had been stopped about 30 miles southeast of the city. Hours after it arrived, workers heard banging and shouting from inside. When staff realized people were trapped, they contacted emergency responders to open the vehicle. By the afternoon, state police buses had removed the migrants from the lot, although authorities did not disclose their destination. Typically, undocumented migrants are transferred to Mexico’s immigration agency.
Over the years, smugglers have used a wide variety of vehicles to move migrants through Mexico, often overcrowding them and putting lives at risk. Previous incidents include a deadly accident in southern Mexico in 2021 and the 2022 tragedy in San Antonio, Texas, where 53 migrants died inside a truck. Trailers are sometimes specially modified with hidden compartments to evade inspections, and even fake ambulances have been employed.
Between 2022 and 2024, Mexican authorities intensified efforts to seize these vehicles and detain the migrants inside. After a period of sharp decline, northern migration appears to be slowly increasing. This year, southern Mexico shelters have reported receiving small numbers of Central Americans traveling north again, in addition to non-Mexican migrants deported under Trump’s policies.
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