52 migrants were kidnapped in Mexico after their bus was hijacked

• 52 migrants were kidnapped in Mexico.
• The bus they were traveling in was hijacked.
• Authorities explain how they were rescued.

Authorities rescue 52 migrants who were kidnapped while traveling on a passenger bus from the central state of San Luis Potosí to Nuevo León, northern Mexico. Armed, hooded men hijacked the bus, reported the Fiscalía General de Justicia de Nuevo León (FGJNL), according to EFE, Radio Formula and infobae.

“During the early hours of May 15, 2023, the owner of a (passenger) bus that was transporting a group of foreign migrants learned, through the GPS location of the vehicle, that the bus had left its route in the state of San Luis Potosí,» detailed the FGJNL.

HOW WAS THE BUS HIJACKED?

He added that the incident happened on Monday on the border of San Luis Potosí and Nuevo León. The two bus drivers were also kidnapped. He was also informed that the vehicle «remained immobile for 30 minutes and that the passengers had been deprived of their liberty by armed and hooded individuals.»

The Fiscalía General de Justicia de Nuevo León confirmed that the owner of the truck filed a complaint in San Luis Potosí and law enforcement cooperated to find the migrants. He also stated that he did not have further details of the kidnapped migrants because, «The complaint was filed in San Luis Potosí and it is up to that social representation to expand the information.»

AUTHORITIES LOCATED THE KIDNAPPED MIGRANTS

Later, the head of the Nuevo León Public Security Secretariat, Gerardo Palacios, pointed out that the National Guard confirmed that the migrants were kidnapped in San Luis Potosí .

“On this side (Nuevo León), the state police Fuerza Civil have managed to locate in the open air and help several foreigners, who in their first interviews confirm this information (the scene of the events) and who would have managed to get to safety by escaping from their captors and leaving San Luis entering the territory of Nuevo León.»

SATELLITE TRACKING HELPED LOCATE THE BUS

In addition, he said that the National Guard bases its claim on satellite tracking, «that yields incontrovertible data.» At night, nine people, originally from Venezuela and Honduras, who were among those kidnapped and who managed to escape from their captors were located walking along a highway in San Luis Potosí.

The Fiscalía General de Justicia de San Luis Potosí (FGJSLP) reported the discovery of a passenger bus in the municipality of Galeana, Nuevo León. «During the course of this day, Tuesday May 16, authorities from Nuevo León informed their colleagues from San Luis Potosí that such a unit had been found, which apparently was transporting migrants,» the report said.

THIS COMES DURING A SURGE IN MIGRATION

In addition, the FGJSLP stated, «The incident occurred in Nuevo León,» and that the various security forces of San Luis Potosí were on the lookout. At the beginning of April, 35 migrants were kidnapped in the city of Matehuala, San Luis Potosí. Migrants pay thousands of dollars to human traffickers to travel on passenger buses.

These incidents occur as thousands of migrants tried to reach the northern border of Mexico after the end of Title 42 last week, which allowed undocumented migrants to be immediately expelled under the COVID-19 health emergency.