Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. met Tuesday with his counterparts from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras during his trip to Mexico City, the Justice Department said.
The group discussed ways to address situations in Central America that are contributing to large numbers of unaccompanied children trying to cross the border into the U.S.
“Specifically, the group considered strategies about how to best confront the smugglers of these unaccompanied children, the violent gangs who victimize them in their home countries and the cartels who tax or exploit them in their passage,” said Justice Department spokesman Brian Fallon.
The officials agreed to form a working group that would meet regularly to address the issue. The first conference is planned for the coming weeks, Mr. Fallon said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection estimates that 66,000 unaccompanied minors crossed the border this year, an 88 percent increase over last year.
• Phillip Swarts can be reached at pswarts@washingtontimes.com.
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