By MARIA VERZA and MARCOS ALEMAN
Associated Press

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) - "When does the next caravan leave?" ''Can I go? I'm from Guatemala." ''What papers do I need for my kids?"

The questions pile up on the phones of hundreds of Central Americans, all with the same goal: Get as many details as possible before leaving their country.

Costly phone calls with relatives and friends in the United States to work out the route or find the best smuggler are a thing of the past for many Central Americans. Now would-be migrants create chat groups and organize using social media to leave in caravans.

Increasingly they're organized over Facebook and WhatsApp as they try to join together in large groups they hope will make the trip safer, and without having to hide from authorities.

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