Fifty-three Central American refugees who were stacked in a truck were rescued Sunday in Mexico after being spotted by a Villahermosa police patrol in the state of Tabasco, local authorities said.
A total of 28 children and 25 adults were identified, including six women, from Central America and mainly Honduras, the State Public Security Service said in a statement.
The refugees pointed out when they lacked air and water and "did not know how long they were locked up" in the truck. Local authorities contacted the National Institute for Immigration to clarify their legal status.
More than 500.000 people are crossing the southern border of Mexico illegally, then trying to reach the United States, according to UN figures. Many of them are fleeing Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to escape violence and poverty.