Photo: VCG

Mexican authorities say they have intercepted two trucks carrying 243 migrants in crowded conditions in the southern state of Chiapas.

A government statement says the vehicles were discovered in two separate incidents by federal authorities.

The migrants were from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, and 46 were minors.

The Thursday night statement said the migrants showed signs of dehydration and were treated and delivered to the custody of the National Migration Institute.

The drivers and their companions were detained.

Mexico has ramped up efforts to stem migration through its territory in recent months under pressure from Washington.

Authorities say people-smuggling is a key area of emphasis for the crackdown.

Top photo: Migrants, who returned to Mexico from the U.S. under the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) to wait for their court hearing for asylum seekers, rest at a migrant shelter run by the federal government in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico September 26, 2019.