#31migrantskidnapped

[birdzflycom]

Mexico rescues 31 migrants kidnapped near US border

Courtesy: ft In a recent development, Mexico successfully intervened to rescue 31 migrants who fell victim to abduction near the US border. This incident unfolded amidst heightened efforts by politicians in both nations to address the escalating influx of individuals attempting perilous journeys to reach the United States. According to Mexican authorities, the group of 31 migrants, hailing from Latin American countries such as Venezuela and Ecuador, was on a bus traveling from Monterrey to Matamoros, situated on the Texas border. The abduction transpired last Saturday when armed, masked individuals forcibly disembarked them from the coach and ushered them into five vans, as revealed by Public Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez on Wednesday. Rodriguez remarked, "While isolated incidents of this nature may occur to one or a few migrants, the magnitude of this occurrence in this specific region is unusual." Interior Minister Luisa Alcalde, later on Wednesday, confirmed the successful rescue of the 31 migrants, refraining from providing additional details. The surge in migrant movements through Central America and Mexico en route to the US border has become a focal point in the upcoming US election and a pressing challenge for President Joe Biden. Notably, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other high-ranking officials recently engaged with Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in Mexico City. Criticism from Republicans has been pointed at Democratic attempts to manage the crisis. Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, and numerous Republican colleagues visited Eagle Pass, Texas, along the US-Mexico border on Wednesday to assess the situation. Simultaneously, the Senate is working towards a bipartisan resolution to address the border predicament, though a consensus remains elusive. The issue has further exacerbated political tensions among US states, with Texas, led by Republicans, arranging the transportation of thousands of migrants to Democratic-led cities like Washington, New York, and Chicago. Migrants passing through Mexico are frequently targeted by criminal groups for extortion or ransom payments, exploiting their reluctance to report crimes to authorities, who, in turn, are disinclined to investigate. Statistics from US authorities indicate a record 2.5 million individuals were apprehended illegally crossing the southern US border in the year leading up to September. Notably, more than half of these migrants in 2023 originated from locations beyond Mexico and northern Central America, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Francisco Gallardo, a priest overseeing migrant shelters in Reynosa and Matamoros, has been receiving distressing reports for months regarding the kidnapping and ransom of men, women, and children. Victims recount instances of abuse, beatings, and torture during their captivity. Mexicans have endured the scourge of organized criminal activities for decades, often involving collaboration with local and national security forces and politicians. Since a spike in murders commenced in 2008 during a crackdown on drug cartels, over 400,000 people have lost their lives, as per data from the statistics agency INEGI. Additionally, more than 113,000 people are reported missing according to a government database. Critics have admonished López Obrador for adopting a laissez-faire approach to crime, allowing criminal groups to expand their territorial control and consolidate power. Recent incidents of extreme violence, such as the massacre of 11 youths during a party attack and the killing of 14 individuals as farmers revolted against an extorting criminal group, underscore the precarious security situation in the country. Read the full article