Mexico detains 782 migrants, among them 368 children under age eight

A total of 782 Central American migrants, including 368 children under the age of eight, have been detained in the Mexican state of Veracruz, officials said Sunday.

The detentions of the migrants, who were being transported hidden in four trailers, were carried out at two points, the National Migration Institute said in a statement.

Of the migrants, 270 are six and seven years old, and 98 are aged zero to five, a source told AFP on Sunday on condition of anonymity.

The detained included 413 Guatemalans, 330 Hondurans and 39 Salvadorans.

Another source said that six alleged human traffickers had been captured.

Veracruz is one of the most violent regions of Mexico. Drug trafficking routes to the United States pass through it, and migrants passing through run the risk of being robbed, raped or kidnapped.

The detentions come during a 45-day period for Mexico to take steps to curb migration, part of an agreement reached with the US earlier this month to head off tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump.

Trump has warned that the tariffs will still be on the table if the United States deems Mexico’s progress insufficient after 45 days.