MEXICO CITY: The National Institute of Migration (INM) of Mexico said that on Thursday, authorities stopped a crowded truck carrying nearly 70 migrants from Guatemala, the majority of whom were unaccompanied minors.

According to the INM, federal Mexican agents spotted the truck at a checkpoint in the bordering American state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico.

The truck was carrying 67 migrants from Guatemala, including 57 unaccompanied minors, most of whom were boys between the ages of 14 and 17. It was added that the group also included a mother and daughter, who were all without valid immigration documents.

It also stated that the truck driver had been referred to the Mexican Attorney General's Office, while the family and unaccompanied minors would be turned over to state authorities for their protection.

Three unaccompanied Salvadoran children were discovered earlier in January by Mexican immigration officials stranded on an islet in the Rio Grande, which runs parallel to the U.S.-Mexico border.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, apprehensions at the border reached a near-record high in December. However, this number fell significantly in January as a result of new migrant restrictions put in place by U.S. President Joe Biden.