Mexico Is Implementing New Measures to Curb Influx of US-Bound CentAm Migrants Caitlin Trimble - VICE News
go to original September 9, 2014

Michael Robinson Chavez discusses the methods some migrants from Central America use to travel to northern Mexico, including an attempt to ride the "La Bestia" freight train. (The Los Angeles Times)

The Mexican government is looking to implement an array of measures they hope will help stem the flow of undocumented migrants entering the US and impede their travel as they attempt to traverse Mexico atop a dangerous old freight train known as La Bestia — or, The Beast.

Last week, Mexican officials announced they would use satellite imagery to monitor railway lines running through Mexico toward its northern border with the US. For years, these trains have been a vital transportation method for migrants attempting to enter the country.

This new strategy comes on the heels of Mexico's recent federal operations to raid the trains and detain the undocumented passengers. As a result, the number of migrants riding atop these menacing trains — from Mexico's southern border with Central America to its northernmost border with the US — has dropped from an average of 800 per trip, to reportedly less than two dozen in recent weeks.

This recently intensified government tactic involves federal officials hiding on the side of the rails at night and climbing on board when the train stops to round up migrants. Last week, a roundup caught just over a dozen undocumented travelers, on a train that has typically carried up to 1,500 migrants.

Mexican officials claim that the train operation is intended to ensure the safety of migrants, but witnesses say federal officials have also recently begun checking documentation of passengers riding on interstate buses through Mexico, signaling that the strategy goes beyond concerns over migrant safety and could be a result of increased pressure from US officials.

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