The United States will coordinate with Mexico to crack down on anti-smuggling countries in the region, according to Reuters

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The United States, Mexico and several countries in the region are coordinating to seize a network of human smugglers responsible for a deadly accident that killed dozens of migrants, the US embassy in Mexico reported on Saturday.

The embassy announced the creation of an action group responsible for investigating, identifying and apprehending smugglers involved in organizing a trailer full of more than 160 people on Thursday in the Mexican state of Chiapas. At least 55 migrants were killed, most of them Guatemalans, and dozens more were injured.

The United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic would support the efforts, even if coordination is open to all countries in the region, the embassy said.

“We have a shared commitment to apply the full weight of the law against those responsible, working in a coordinated manner in all appearances of human trafficking and smuggling,” the embassy said in a statement.

Thousands of migrants fleeing poverty and violence in Central America have traveled across Mexico in recent years to reach the U.S. border. They face dangerous conditions, including being transported in packed trucks arranged by smugglers, known as “coyotes,” in dangerous conditions.

Guatemala on Friday called on the United States to promote investment in the country and Central America.