Mexico Halts First Attempt by Migrant Caravan

Mexico City: Mexican authorities stopped a first attempt by members of the Central American migrant caravan to seek asylum in the US, whilst Washington continued to strengthen border security in the face of their mass arrival. The authorities supported by federal and local police on Thursday blocked access to the El Chaparral checkpoint for some 200 of the more than 4,000 migrants who have arrived in recent days in the Mexican border city of Tijuana, reports Efe news. The migrants marched to El Chaparral from the shelter they are occupying in Tijuana, as US authorities closed the San Ysidro border checkpoint for almost an hour for a security drill. (IANS)