Mexico Officials Rescue 5 of 31 Kidnapped Migrants from Venezuela

Mexico's security services successfully liberated five Venezuelans who were kidnapped by gunmen over the weekend, according to local authorities on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

This rescue effort is part of an ongoing operation to locate another 26 individuals who were abducted from a bus traveling to the border city of Matamoros.

The incident unfolded on Saturday when the bus, en route from Reynosa to Matamoros in the northern state of Tamaulipas, was intercepted by gunmen.

Out of the 36 people on board, 31 were kidnapped, as reported by an anonymous spokesman from the state's security office to Reuters.

Details concerning the five individuals who were not kidnapped and the motive behind the crime have not been disclosed.

In many cases, however, kidnappers demand ransoms from the families of their victims.

Members of Mexico's National Guard successfully freed the five kidnapped migrants from Venezuela after the kidnappers abandoned the vehicle transporting the Venezuelans, as stated by the state's security body in an official statement.

The rescued kidnapped migrants confirmed their participation in the group that was kidnapped over the weekend.

Authorities are currently conducting an ongoing investigation into the incident.

The Mexico Kidnapping

In a distressing turn of events, 31 migrants, including men, women, and children from Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, and Mexico, were forcibly abducted while en route to the US border in Tamaulipas, Mexico, BNN noted.

This organized crime occurred on Saturday, as regional security spokesperson Jorge Cuellar reported on Milenio television.

The bus, intercepted by five vehicles, saw its passengers forcibly taken off by Gulf Cartel gunmen.

Shockingly, only five passengers were permitted to continue their journey to Matamoros, while the rest became hostages of the criminal group.

Tamaulipas, known for its history of violence, has witnessed similar incidents in the past, emphasizing the dangers migrants face on their journey.

Mexican authorities have launched a search operation for the abducted individuals, but the challenging task is compounded by the region's history of violence and the influence of organized crime.

Rescue Operation for Kidnapped Migrants in Mexico

The Tamaulipas state police reported a pursuit involving a white Ford Fusion escaping a Mexican National Guard checkpoint on Monday, according to KTSM.

Inside the car, soldiers and police discovered five migrants who revealed they were Venezuelans abducted from a Senda bus traveling to Matamoros.

The state police are working to clarify if the rescued migrants were part of the Saturday night abduction or if a separate incident involving a second commercial bus is at play.

Matamoros Catholic Diocese Vicar Francisco Gallardo highlighted the prevalence of migrant kidnappings across the border from South Texas.

He emphasized that various groups, including women, children, families, and unaccompanied minors, have been targeted during their journey.

Despite the presence of Mexico immigration agents at major bus stations, criminal groups often target charter buses departing from company parking lots.

The National Migration Institute reported last year that Mexico authorities had freed 2,115 migrants of different nationalities who were kidnapped by organized criminal groups seeking ransom.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: 31 migrants abducted from bus near US border - From KTSM 9 NEWS