WORLD> America
Mexico arrests 61 illegal immigrants
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-11 09:48

MEXICO CITY -- Sixty-one illegal immigrants from Central America were detained in southeastern Mexico on Wednesday, authorities said.

The immigrants -- 35 Guatemalans, 19 Ecuadorians and seven Salvadorians -- were not able to prove their legal stay in Mexican territory when they were stopped in the southeastern state of Chiapas, the Federal Public Security Ministry said in a statement.

The immigrants, traveling for many hours inside a cargo truck that was transporting plastic goods, were dehydrated when they were arrested.

After receiving medical care and food, they were sent to the National Institute of Migration (INM) in Tuxtla Gutierrez, capital of Chiapas, to be later repatriated.

About 7,000 illegal immigrants from Central America are detained in Mexico every year, the INM said. The immigrants seek to get to the United States via Mexico for better life conditions, it said.