Riding Mexico's notorious 'Train of Death': A lifeline and a death trap for migrants deperate to avoid narco territory

HUEHUETOCA, MEXICO -

This is part two of a five-part series following the harrowing journeys of migrants who risk their lives crossing the Darien Gap and riding atop Mexico's notorious 'Train of Death.' W5 Investigative Unit Managing Editor and Senior Correspondent Avery Haines follow migrants as they board the train, which has become a ride of last resort for them as they try to make it to the U.S. border.

Seven-year-old Sarah believes she is playing an elaborate game of hide and seek. She flaps her arms and squeals as she tells me to "get down, get down."

Sarah, 7, with her mother Jasmin (CTV W5)

I lay flat on the ground, along with Sarah’s family and other migrants. They are hiding out from Mexican immigration authorities in a garbage dump as they wait to jump on the notorious death train.

In Spanish the train is called La Bestia or El Tren De La Muerte; 'The Beast' or the 'Train of Death.'

They are just ordinary freight trains that crisscross Mexico.

These trains aren't designed for humans but have become a ride of last resort for migrants (CTV W5)

A map of Mexico's freight railway system (CC BY-SA 3.0 / AsoMexFFCC)

They aren’t designed for humans but have become a ride of last resort for migrants willing to gamble life and limb for a free ride north towards the U.S. border.

“It's known as the beast because of its speed,” said migrant advocate Anahi Selum. “As they are running for it, they can’t hold on to the train. It devours them..and they lose either an arm, a leg, or their life. “

Migrants running towards a Mexican train in hopes of going north towards the U.S. border (CTV W5)

A garbage dump near Huehueteca, Mexico is a popular spot for migrants to wait for 'The Beast.' It’s on a hill with a clear view of both the train tracks and immigration patrols.

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Little Sara’s hide-and-seek game kicked into high gear when the group feared a railway maintenance truck near the tracks was an immigration vehicle. It was a false alarm.

Sarah’s mother Jasmin, from Colombia, tells me they’ve been dodging immigration for weeks leaving her daughter terrified.

“We were in a small town and had to run from immigration and [Sarah] was scared…so frightened…and so I told her that we are playing a game of hide and seek, that we have to hide so they don’t see us," said Jasmin.

Central American migrants ride north on top of a freight train in Mexico (Getty Images)

Shocking images in 2023 of thousands of migrants on top of the trains have triggered a crackdown across Mexico.

Random military checkpoints have popped up along tracks that lead north toward the U.S. If migrants are caught they are sent back to the southern border with Guatemala.

A soldier patrols one of the tracks along one of the freight train routes that crisscross Mexico (CTV W5)

Along with Mexico’s aggressive crackdown, the U.S. has enacted strict new border rules. Previously, migrants could claim asylum the minute they stepped on U.S. soil, even if they snuck across the border.

As of June 2024, the only way to legally apply for asylum is to book an appointment through an online app called CPB One. Fewer than 1,500 appointments open up each day and migrants are frantically, and repeatedly, accessing the app a staggering 5 million times a month to try to land one of the coveted appointments.

• Narco Jungle: The Death Train Part 1: Crackdown on treacherous Darien Gap could force migrants to risk more dangerous routes
• Narco Jungle: The Death Train Part 3: Travelling along the world's most dangerous land route for migrants
• Narco Jungle: The Death Train Part 4: What it's like to interview members of Mexico's notorious drug cartels
• Narco Jungle: The Death Train Part 5: The privilege of the passport: The stark difference between an expat and a migrant

The new U.S. border rules have had a dramatic impact. In the first three months after the new rules took effect, U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows irregular crossings have dropped more than 50 per cent. And the number of migrants being removed from the U.S. is at the "highest levels since 2010," according to the CBP.

Human rights advocates warn the measures have put migrant's lives at risk because they are essentially now trapped in Mexico.

“The crossing in Mexico is very hard and is made even harder by these policies,” said Father Priciliano Peraza, who runs a migrant shelter in Altar, Mexico. He says migrants are easy prey for narcos who have found a lucrative industry in kidnappings and forced cartel taxes throughout the country.

“They rob you. They kidnap you. They rape you. They extort you," said Peraza. "People immigrate out of necessity…not out of pleasure. If we addressed the issues in the countries where people are migrating from, no one would want to leave.”