Mexico and Cuba sign migrant pact
In a move likely to reduce the number of Cubans reaching U.S. soil, Mexico agreed Monday to deport Cubans smuggled into the country on their way to the United States.
The agreement between Mexico and Cuba reflects concern among Mexican officials over the growing number of Cubans being brought into this country by traffickers evading beefed-up U.S. patrols in the waters between Cuba and Florida.
The pact, signed during a visit by Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, is the latest sign of improved relations between Mexico and Cuba after a chill during the administration of former Mexican President Vicente Fox.
Mexican authorities have arrested about 2,000 undocumented Cubans this year, more than triple the total last year, according to figures cited in the Mexican media. Four years ago, Mexican immigration officers detained fewer than 200 Cubans.
More than 11,000 Cubans made it to the United States through Mexico last year.
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-- Dbeorah Bonello in Mexico City
