They intercept 15 Cuban migrants in operation against human trafficking in Guatemala

A group of 15 Cuban migrants, including four minors, were intercepted over the weekend by the authorities in Guatemala, in an operation against people traffic.

In the operation, which occurred on Saturday night, on the road that leads to Puerto Quetzal, Escuintla, «the Prosecutor’s Office Against Illicit Traffic of Migrants and the Police coordinated the apprehension of José Luis Barreno Velásquez for the crime of illicit traffic of people,» said the Public Ministry of Guatemala in his X account.

According to the official statement, Bureno Velásquez was driving a microbus in which he transported the 15 Cubans and an Iranian citizen, who did not present the documentation that demonstrated his income and legal permanence in Guatemala.

«The captured was made available to the competent court and migrants were granted the corresponding protection and were available to the Guatemalan Institute of Migration,» said the Public Ministry.

During the operation, more than 2 thousand dollars and a cell phone were seized, says the official report.

The exodus of Cuban migrants through Central America, a route they use to reach the southern border of the United States, has decreased substantially in recent months, after measures against irregular immigration taken by the administration of President Donald Trump in January.

The number of migrant arrests between US entry ports has also been reduced, falling from 6,297 in January, only 150 in February, according to the most recent report of the Office of Customs and Border Protection.