Since March, Andrade has received more than 400 calls from families in Mexico and Central America whose relatives – sick, injured or exhausted – were left behind by smugglers in the borderlands.
IRONWOOD FOREST NATIONAL MONUMENT, Arizona — After strapping on knee-high snake guards and bowing his head to invoke God’s protection, Óscar Andrade marched off into a remote desert at dawn on a recent Sunday to look for a Honduran migrant missing since late July.
Forensic experts estimate 80% of bodies in the desert are never found, identified or recovered. But those that are, added to massive casualties like 53 migrants trapped in an abandoned trailer in San Antonio, Texas, in June and nine migrants swept away in the Rio Grande this month, point to one of the deadliest seasons on record on the always dangerous Southwest border.
The group didn’t find the missing 45-year-old Honduran, but planned to look again; it usually takes several trips to locate remains in this desert. Faith often motivates volunteer organizations providing aid along the border. The Capellanes, who search for the missing at least once a week, pray with the grieving families and don’t charge them for the searches. They work closely with law enforcement, notifying the Border Patrol of every search and then local authorities if they find human remains, as they have nearly 50 times.
Given how quickly a body decomposes in the desert, unless it’s found within a day of dying, identification might require expensive DNA analysis, said Dr. Greg Hess, chief medical examiner for Pima County.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How New Mexico plans to take a bite from Texas’ trade with MexicoSANTA TERESA, New Mexico — As a political rift between Texas and Mexico grows, this tiny port of entry in New Mexico is reaping the benefits, doubling the...
Read more »
Video shows moments before vehicle-pedestrian crash in Tucson'Drivers have to start preparing for people to be in the roadways where they are not supposed to be,' said Sgt. David Brotherton with the Tucson Police Department Traffic Investigations Unit.
Read more »
Tucson Police Department looking to recruit more officersLocal business owners on Speedway Blvd are frustrated with increased theft and violence. TPD looking to recruit more officers and is hosting open house.
Read more »
Today's Tucson weather forecast: Sept. 14Get a glimpse of what the weather in Tucson will be like today:
Read more »
Business awards earned in Tucson and Southern ArizonaHonors earned by Southern Arizona businesses, leaders, organizations.
Read more »
Nearly 200 arrested in push to throttle Tucson street racersPolice swept two large gatherings of street races and spectators in Tucson Friday and Saturday night.
Read more »