Authorities in Mexico have rescued 22 foreigners who had been kidnapped in a hotel

Mexican authorities rescued 22 foreigners, the majority of whom were Cuban and Haitian, who had been kidnapped earlier in the day when gunmen stormed a hotel in the central state of San Luis Potosi, according to the region’s attorney general.

When the gunmen ransacked the Sol y Luna Hotel in Matehuala, about 195 kilometres (120 miles) north of the regional capital of San Luis Potosi, they also kidnapped 16 Mexicans.

The Mexicans were released earlier, but the foreign nationals had to be rescued in a remote area along the road between Matehuala and the regional capital, according to Arturo Garza Herrera, the state attorney general.

The foreigners were supposed to be transferred to San Luis Potosi for food and medical attention. Garza’s office provided no information about the rescue or whether any of the foreigners were injured.

While the majority of the rescued foreigners were Haitians and Cubans, there had been reports that some Venezuelans were among them, according to Garza’s office in a statement. There were three minors and a pregnant woman among them.

Garza added, “I’m going to alert the migration institute so they can get involved because we don’t know the migrant status of these guys.”

Kidnappings, extortion, rape, and even murder have been reported among migrants seeking to enter the United States. Some are recruited to work for drug gangs battling for control of drug routes.

In June, a human rights organisation said that 3,300 migrants had been kidnapped, raped, trafficked, or attacked while stranded in Mexico since January due to a US border policy.