La Bestia

From there it travels north to the Lechería station on the outskirts of Mexico City, where it connects with a network of Mexican freight trains heading to different points on the U.S. border.

It is estimated that each year, between 400,000 and 500,000 migrants, the majority of whom are from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, ride atop these trains in the effort to reach the United States.

[1][2] Although these trains (which transport products and materials including corn, cement, and minerals) are regarded as a free form of travel that allows migrants to avoid Mexico's numerous immigration checkpoints and 48 detention centers, the risks are high and many riders are left with life-altering injuries that limit their capacity to work.

Apart from Grupos Beta, the Mexican Government has been criticized for its relaxed approach to the countless instances of rights violations and abuses regarding Central American migrants.

We Are Not from Here, a young adult book written by American author Jenny Torres Sanchez depicts three unaccompanied teenagers from Guatemala taking the train in the search of safety and in hope of a better life.

In 2023, the Youtuber Bald and Bankrupt posted an episode called "Riding The World's Deadliest Train: The Beast" where he travelled alongside families trying to reach the US.