63 children made to work on farms in Mexico rescued

At least 63 minors, who were made to work long hours in a vegetable packing company in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila, were rescued Wednesday, officials said on Thursday.

The children were found in poor conditions, sleeping on the floor and in various states of malnutrition, Coahuila secretary of government Victor Zamora said.

Six people were arrested and they confessed that the children, of whom the youngest was eight years old, were tricked into being taken to the El Higo community in the town of Ramos Arizpe, about 70 km southwest of the city of Monterrey, and forced to pick vegetables on a farm there.

The minors told authorities that they were given two meals a day and had only a half-day off each week and were paid 100 pesos (6 U.S. dollars) a day, slightly higher than the minimum wage of about 70 pesos (4 dollars).

The illegal child exploitation was discovered when one of the fathers of the children denounced the operation to the police.

Reports said the minors were recruited through advertisements. It is still unknown to what extent the parents agreed, or knew, about the conditions their children would be working in.

Zamora stipulated that more than 100 children were working in such conditions but that many ran away during the raid, with only 63 being taken in.

The children are now being taken care of in various shelters, with the authorities seeking to bring them back to their homes.