In a joint investigation carried out by Telemundo News, the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (CLIP), and several other partners, shocking details have emerged regarding the dangerous journey undertaken by thousands of migrants attempting to reach the U.S. border inside cargo trucks through Mexican roadways.

Official records have confirmed the perilous journey of approximately 19,000 people, including over 3,000 children, who risked their lives in search of a better future. The investigative team interviewed survivors, researchers, and former officials, and extensively reviewed documents and press reports to shed light on the flourishing business of smuggling migrants in tractor-trailers across Mexican highways.

The report highlights the horrifying conditions endured by these migrants. Inside the crowded cargo trucks, temperatures soared to suffocating levels. Women were forced to squat against the walls, clutching their children, while men sat in rows, packed tightly together. The containers were pitch dark, filled with approximately 170 people who were forced to remain in silence throughout the dangerous journey.

The investigation focused on the story of Yanira Chávez, a brave woman from Honduras who embarked on this treacherous journey with her two young children. Chávez paid a hefty sum of $5,000 to a smuggler, known as a "coyote," who promised to take her and her children safely to the United States. However, the reality was far from what was promised. Chávez and her family were stripped of their personal belongings, including their phones, and coerced into boarding a trailer truck.

As the grueling journey continued, the migrants faced extreme deprivation. Food and water supplies were scarce, leaving people fainting from exhaustion and dehydration. Sanitary conditions were deplorable, with plastic buckets serving as makeshift toilets. The migrants traveled approximately 900 miles, enduring four days inside the back of the truck with only two brief stops.

Chávez's harrowing ordeal took an even darker turn when she and her children were kidnapped by the coyotes upon reaching Reynosa, Mexico. They were held captive in a hotel for two weeks without sufficient food while the smugglers extorted her husband in New Orleans. Eventually, after paying a staggering $14,000, Chávez and her children managed to escape their captors and surrendered to the U.S. Border Patrol in McAllen, Texas.

Tragically, not all migrants survive such treacherous journeys. According to the investigation's findings, at least 111 migrants have lost their lives over the past six years due to suffocation from heat and lack of oxygen, as well as in traffic accidents involving tractor-trailers. One significant incident occurred in December 2021 when a trailer overturned in Chiapas, resulting in the tragic deaths of 56 people.

While the investigation sheds light on these grim realities, it is crucial to note that the data presented represents only a fraction of the actual extent of this form of human trafficking. The inconsistent quality of the available data and the Mexican authorities' recent efforts to track such cases limit our comprehensive understanding of this issue.

The joint investigation serves as a wake-up call, exposing the dangerous and exploitative practices employed by smugglers in transporting migrants through Mexico. The plight of Yanira Chávez and her children stands as a stark reminder of the urgent need for international collaboration and proactive measures to tackle human trafficking and provide safer alternatives for those seeking a better life.