A migrant girl drowns while crossing the border between the United States and Mexico

A Venezuelan girl died while trying to cross the Rio Bravo, on the border between Mexico and the United States, announced the Mexican authorities.

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Teams from the National Institute for Migration (INM) “discovered the body of a minor, probably of Venezuelan nationality” in the river, at the level of the municipality of Acuña, in the state of Coahuila (north), announced the organization in a press release Tuesday evening.

According to the INM, a US border patrol had previously issued a wanted notice for a missing girl, dressed in a red jacket, blue pants and white socks.

The child, whose age has not been specified, was discovered in the river “without vital signs and then transferred to the bank, in Mexican territory”.

Between October 2020 and September 2021, the United States recorded a record 1.7 million people who entered illegally through its southern border.

Many migrants, from South and Central America, risk their lives on a long and perilous journey through Mexico during which they face the risk of accidents, drowning and gang violence.

In December, Mexico announced new visa requirements for Venezuelans following a surge in arrivals from the crisis-hit country. Many hope to win the United States.