22 Foreigners Abducted From Hotel Then Abandoned By Captors In Mexico

38 people were reportedly found by police from Northern Mexico on a roadside on Tuesday, Sept. 14. It appears 22 of those found were foreigners and it was not clear if they were asylum-seekers.

16 of those found were reportedly Mexicans. The group of 38 included three children and a pregnant woman. The 22 individuals were allegedly abducted from a hotel in the city of Matehuala early Tuesday, Al Jazeera reported.

It remains unknown why they were abandoned by their captors. The foreign mix of people included Venezuelans. The status of these foreigners is now being checked by immigration authorities who are also trying to figure out the motive behind the alleged kidnapping.

According to prosecutors, three SUVs carrying armed men arrived before dawn at the Hotel Sol y Luna. The documents of the captives were in their hotel rooms. The abductors also reportedly took the hotel’s quest log.

The National Guard and police officers were alerted of the group’s presence by an unknown caller. He informed authorities that there was a group of people in need of help on the road.

For now, determining if these people are asylum-seekers or migrants is needed. A lot of these categorized individuals have been trying to reach the United States although their journey is not easy. Some have been subject to rape, extortion and murders.

There are also others forced to work for cartels fighting over drug-trafficking routes. This is the price that most have to pay just to get over the border.

Roughly 3,300 asylum seekers and migrants are stranded in Mexico since January due to the US border policy. The Joe Biden administration has turned away most people from the border, citing the pandemic as the reason. However, they have allowed unaccompanied minors to cross into the US.

As of this writing, the Biden administration continues to end the “Remain in Mexico” policy instituted by former US President Donald Trump.

Attempts to end the program were blocked by a district judge. The Biden administration’s appeal of the ruling to the US Supreme Court was unsuccessful.