MEXICO CITY: Mexican marines have freed 104 kidnapped Central American migrants who were being held in a house in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, authorities said Sunday.

A statement from the Secretary of the Marines said the 102 Hondurans and two Salvadorans, including 13 women, had been held captive for four days.

It said the rescue operation came after authorities received a tip that vehicles were seen arriving at the house in Tamaulipas state and armed men were then seen violently unloading people from them.

The statement didn't say if the migrants were trying to cross Mexico in hopes of reaching the United States, but it is common for Central American migrants trying to reach the US to be kidnapped and ransoms demanded from their families.

According to Mexico's National Human Rights Commission, each year about 150,000 migrants, mostly Central Americans, cross Mexico trying to reach the United States.