Immigration Reform 2014: Distance Between Guatemala and Los Angeles, Route of Death for Immigrants

A new route has been created in recent years by immigrants seeking to enter the U.S. from Central America, with 5,000 km between Guatemala and Los Angeles, through the Gulf of Mexico towards Texas, and crossing the border between Tamaulipas and McAllen.

Recent immigration studies made by the Washington Office for Latin American Affairs said that the route through the Arizona desert was changed by human-trafficking organizations, taking immigrant groups through routes controlled by criminal groups such as "los Zetas", who force immigrants to pay up to $5,000 or get killed instead.

The study quoted by La Opinión includes testimonials from immigrants and families of Latinos who have been the victims of "coyotes", people who smuggle immigrants into US soil, and who suffered a car accident on March 30, involving a truck transporting immigrants from Houston to Los Angeles which flipped over in the Mojave desert, leaving some seriously injured and some dead.

Testimonials indicate that a network of "coyotes" extort the families of the immigrants with money deposits larger than what had been agreed, threatening to disappear or lose the immigrants during their trip.

"We know they have the right to migrate, but we want to warn them that they might lose their lives, because to 'coyotes' they're just merchandise," said García Sáenz, quoted by La Opinión, pointing to an increase in immigrant-smuggling in McAllen, Texas.

The WOLA report also makes a reference to the case of the San Fernando victims, around 72 immigrants found dead in pits dug by "los Zetas" in the state of Tamaulipas.

Currently, there are non-profit organizations seeking to help immigrants passing through the border between Guatemala and Mexico, territory also controlled by "los Zetas" who in recent years have proven to be Mexico's bloodiest criminal group.

The U.S. Border Patrol said that during 2013 around 195 bodies were found in the Tucson border, while 156 dead immigrants were found in McAllen.