Authorities find 71 migrants held in a house in Oaxaca, southeastern Mexico

( Spanish) – The Attorney General’s Office of Oaxaca, in southeastern Mexico, reported this Friday the discovery of 71 migrants of various nationalitiesamong them 19 minors, who were crammed inside a home.

In the operation, which was carried out on Thursday, the authorities found 32 people from Ecuador, 25 from Venezuela, seven from Colombia, three from Honduras, one from Chile, one from El Salvador, one from Peru and one more of African origin. according to the statement released by the Prosecutor’s Office.

The report added that two people who allegedly held the migrants against their will were detained.

The detainees are a 36-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman. “Both of foreign origin, who were presumably in charge of taking care of the migrants,” according to information from authorities.

Furthermore, according to the statement, they allegedly made phone calls to the relatives of those detained to demand money as payment for their release.

The number of undocumented migrants who have been detained in Mexico tripled in the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year, according to official figures.