KINGSTON, Jamaica – The body of a young man found on a street in Mexico has been identified as a Jamaican migrant who was trying to enter the United States (US) illegally.

This was disclosed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Senator Kamina Johnson Smith at the post-cabinet press briefing held at Jamaica House on Wednesday morning.

Johnson Smith, however, did not disclose the identity of the person. The minister stated that they were in talks with the Mexican government to have the body returned to Jamaica.

“Just this week, [it] came to my attention that a young man who has been missing in Mexico has now been identified [and] as having died. He was regrettably an unidentified person found on a street in Mexico and his family has idea where he was. The persons who were supposed to have been travelling with him became uncontactable by the family,” Johnson Smith explained.

Johnson Smith added that efforts were made by the Jamaican Embassy in Mexico to reach out to the department responsible for the identification of persons. They were then informed that the young Jamaican was identified as “having an autopsy performed on him, but not having a body claim.”

“We will be working with the family to see what we can do in terms of the repatriation of the body,” the Minister assured.

However, she warned that “the stories that these scammers and smugglers sell to individuals in vulnerable communities should not be trusted. There are real consequences to trying to enter the US illegally, or any other country for that matter.”

“We really encourage Jamaicans to take a second and a third thought before they take that decision,” Johnson Smith said.