The human smuggling activities now continue in Mexico as 71 migrants and children were found inside a  tractor-trailer. The driver was allegedly connected to a cartel.

The human smuggling activities from Mexico to its borders have slowed down for the past few months due to the global pandemic and travel restrictions.

This limited the movements of human smugglers who were trying to cross the borders and enter U.S. soil. 

Apparently, it seems that human smuggling activities now continue after 71 migrants and two children were found inside a tractor-trailer in Mexico in an attempt to reach the Texas border. The driver of the vehicle was reportedly connected to the Mexico's Gulf Cartel. 

(Photo : Photo by Joe Raedle/Newsmakers)
Trucks from Mexico queue as they wait to enter the United States at a border crossing point February 14, 2001 from Neuvo Laredo, Mexico to Laredo, TX. The D.O.T. inspectors check trucks for safety violations as they enter the United States from Mexico.

Read also: Mexico Stops Holding Migrant Children in Detention Centers 

According to Breitbart, the incident took place in the municipality of China as the police authorities in the state of Nuevo Leon manned a series of checkpoints. They noticed that a tractor-trailer tried to avoid them and fled. 

The driver of the vehicle fought with the police authorities and was trying to get away.

The news outlet also reported that the truck-trailer has license plate number 765-DS7 and was headed north toward the border state of Tamaulipas. 

After this, the police officers managed to chase the vehicle who tried to escape but the tractor-trailer was caught along the highway that connects the towns of China and Mendez.

Police authorities identified the man as Antonio Rincon Torres, 48 years old, who became aggressive and tried to fight with the authorities. 

Suspected cartel driver tried to flee

Moreover, aside from being aggressive, the police authorities also said Torres attempted to run away from the scene. This now adds up to their speculation that the driver might be doing something illegal using the tractor-trailer. However, the driver's connection to the cartel group could not yet be established. 

After the police authorities arrested the driver, they opened the tractor-trailer and they found 71 migrants including a two-year-old child and two other minors in the group. There were 60 men and eight women inside the vehicle. 

The police authorities found out that these 71 migrants did not have legal status in Mexico. Even though the driver was Mexican, the migrants were all coming from Central America such as Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador.

Police authorities immediately turned them over to Mexico's immigration authorities. Meanwhile, Latin Post previously reported that Mexico stopped holding children and their parents in the detention centers. 

It has been the practice of the country's illegal migrants such as children and their families in the different detention centers for years. However, the Mexican government recently announced that they are changing their immigration policy. 

The Mexican immigration authorities are expected to turn over the illegal migrants to the country's family development agency and not from the National Immigration Institute. This new immigration policy was also commended by the U.N.