Watch CBS News

Mexico: Migrant Traffickers Renting Buses For Rapid Smuggling To U.S.

MEXICO CITY (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Mexican authorities say migrant traffickers have adopted a new trick to smuggle Central American clients to the U.S. border: renting high-end tour buses.

Mexico's Immigration Institute says it has found 102 migrants on two buses being used to whisk them across the length of the country.

The migrants reported paying between $7,000 and $10,000 to go from an area near the Guatemalan border to Reynosa, a city across from McAllen, Texas.

The institute said Monday that because the traffickers wanted to move quickly, they had not stopped to get the migrants food or water for two days.

In the past, smugglers have frequently crammed migrants into hidden compartments in freight trucks while transporting them through the country.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.