The INM officials found the 513 illegal migrants (who were mostly from Latin America, but also from Asia) in horrible conditions - "subhuman" according to one of the INM agents involved- in two trailers at Tuxtla Gutiérrez in Chiapas. The illegals were detected with x-ray equipment.
Each of the migrants, according to the INM, had paid US$7,000 to get to the US. This was the biggest number of illegals ever found in one swoop. Separately, two senior INM agents in Tapachula, on the border with Guatemala, were accused by the federal Procuraduría General de la República of forcing women from Central America to work as prostitutes.
On 18 May, Blake Mora announced that the government would invest M$2bn (US$170m) in six new border-control posts along the frontier with Guatemala.
The Mexican interior ministry also admitted that between 1 January and 15 May this year, the Instituto Nacional de Migración (which is part of the interior ministry) had to respond to 128 complaints of abuse by its officials. The complaints were lodged with the national human rights commission (CNDH). The interior ministry said that of the 37 cases that had been fully investigated, no further action had been warranted.
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