MEXICO CITY, June 5 (Xinhua) -- An estimated 600 Central American migrants made their way in a caravan on Wednesday from the Mexico-Guatemala border to the nearby city of Tapachula, according to reports from the Mexican police.
The migrants were traveling along the road that connects the border city of Ciudad Hidalgo to Tapachula in southeast Mexico,local police told Xinhua via phone.
The majority of the caravan members entered Mexico illegally early morning through the border crossing, according to local media. Reports indicate immigration authorities were unable to stop them.
Other migrants, who had already crossed the river by rafts, joined the caravan when it began its trek to Tapachula, local media reported, adding that the majority of people were Hondurans.
The entry of the new caravan into Mexico came in the wake of a U.S. decision to impose tariffs on Mexican products, citing Mexico's lack of action in stopping the flow of migrants crossing into the U.S. border.
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would impose initial tariffs of 5 percent on all Mexican imports beginning June 10.
The flow of migrants increased at the end of 2018 following the formation of massive caravans, which has increased the tension in the Mexico-U.S. relations.
This week, Mexican officials have stressed that the government is working to seek solution to the migration issue with several measures, such as offering jobs in the southern part of the country and asylum to those who seek it.
However,migrants have continued to cross Mexico on their way to the United States. The situation has led to the highest number of detentions by U.S. border patrol since 2007.