NEW YORK, BRONX (ORDO News) — In the border cities of Reynosa and Matamoros, major transit routes for immigrants seeking to enter the U.S., reports of sexual violence against migrants have been increasing. The Mexican government, humanitarian groups, sexual assault survivors, and local aid workers have all provided evidence of this disturbing trend.
Carolina, a survivor of sexual assault, shared her harrowing experience. Initially, she believed her captors were going to force her to call her family in Venezuela for a $2,000 ransom. Instead, she was brutally attacked and raped by one of the men. Carolina’s account was corroborated by a migrant advocate who assisted her after the incident.
Criminal investigations into the rape of foreign nationals (excluding Americans) reached record levels in Reynosa and Matamoros in 2023, based on state data from 2014 to 2023 obtained through freedom of information requests. Tamaulipas, the state where these cities are located, is considered the most dangerous along the U.S.-Mexico border by the U.S. State Department.
The surge in sexual violence can be attributed, in part, to a new system implemented by the U.S. government in May. This system required migrants to secure an appointment through an app called CBP One to present themselves at a legal border crossing for entry into the United States. However, experts argue that this system has had unintended consequences, such as an increase in violence.
As migrants wait for appointments on the app, they are exposed to the dangers of kidnapping, sexual assault, and extortion by criminal groups. The risk of being assaulted in Reynosa and Matamoros has led many migrants to opt for illegal border crossings. The surge in border crossings occurred in September, indicating the unintended consequences of the new system.
Despite the U.S. government’s assertion that the CBP policy is more humane, experts argue that it has pushed migrants into more perilous situations. Criminal groups in Tamaulipas demand payments from migrants to enter their territory, often subjecting them to rape and other forms of violence.
The situation is further complicated by the presence of cartels like the Gulf Cartel and the Northeast Cartel, which kidnap migrants for ransom. Some migrants also spend extended periods in the dangerous region while waiting for CBP One appointments, exposing themselves to greater risks.
U.S. authorities have expressed concern over reports of sexual assaults in the two cities. While the CBP temporarily suspended CBP One appointments in another Tamaulipas border city, Nuevo Laredo, due to “extortion and kidnapping concerns,” the agency maintains that migrants can book appointments from other parts of Central and Northern Mexico.
Official data likely represents only a fraction of the sexual violence cases due to migrants’ fear of reporting these crimes. Mexico’s national migration agency, Tamaulipas’ security agency, and Mexico’s foreign ministry have not addressed questions about sexual violence against migrants.
These distressing accounts shed light on the urgent need for enhanced safety measures and protection for migrants in border cities like Reynosa and Matamoros, where sexual violence has become a grave concern.
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Reuters news agency contributed to this report, edited and published by ORDO News editors.
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