Mexican security forces block migrant caravan

TUXTLA GUTIÉRREZ: Security forces in southern Mexico on Monday blocked a caravan of several hundred mostly Central American migrants, including children, heading for the United States on foot, authorities said.

The group, made up of Salvadorans, Hondurans, Guatemalans and Haitians, were intercepted on a coastal highway in Chiapas state, according to the police.

Dozens of national guard members equipped with shields blocked the road during an operation that resulted in the detention of around 80 people, according to a police source.

Around 700 people had set off from Tapachula, a city near the border with Guatemala, as part of the caravan on Saturday, but the number dwindled along the way due to police operations.

Migrants who manage to avoid detention often take refuge in communities in the area before trying to regroup and resume the journey.

Mexico has seen increased arrivals of undocumented migrants heading north following US President Joe Biden's arrival in the White House with a promise of a more humane approach.

In an attempt to curb the influx, the Mexican government has deployed more than 27,000 members of the security forces along its southern and northern borders. AFP