Who was Marta Ana Raymundo? Traffickers dump body of Guatemalan migrant, 22, on Texas road after she fell ill
A 22-year-old Guatemalan migrant's body was dumped by smugglers after she died while crossing the border. Marta Ana Raymundo was on her way to join her family in Atlanta, Georgia, when she fell ill and died during an illegal smuggling operation. The smugglers then dumped her body on a roadside in Texas and sent directions to her father to recover her.
Marta's father, Francisco Raymundo has now come forward to speak of the ordeal the family faced while accusing the smugglers of killing his daughter. It is unclear as of now if he traveled to Texas to recover the body.
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The tragic death of Marta follows a surge in migrants attempting to cross the border since Joe Biden became President, with a few ending equally tragically. Here's everything we know about Marta.
Who is Marta Raymundo?
El Pereodico reported she is originally from Nebaj, Quiché. According to the publication, Marta's parents are survivors of the Salquil Grande genocide in Nebaj.
Marta left her home in Guatemala for the US with a group of smugglers, called the 'Coyotes' by her father. She left the country sometime in the last week of April and managed to cross the US border around April 30. It is unclear when exactly she died. On May 4, her body was found by a Border Patrol Liaison unit, and taken to Lubbock for identification. The Consulate General of Guatemala in Atlanta then got involved, after Francisco contacted them for help.
The last time the two spoke was just before she crossed the border, when Marta told her father, "Dad, we are already informed and we are ready." She was then forced to dump her cellphone. After crossing the border, Marta's brother was called by the smugglers who told him that they had made it through. Reportedly, after seven hours of walking, they were put in a vehicle and taken to a warehouse.
On arrival, Marta fainted and was later declared dead by the smugglers. "I thought it was due to fatigue ... I didn't think she was going to die," Francisco told Univision. Once she was declared dead, the smugglers dumped her body on a highway near Odessa, and sent Francisco the location via text. The father alleges Marta was suffocated because the vehicle was overcrowded. He believes she died because of asphyxiation.
Marta's tragic death is just one of the many that migrant families have suffered as illegal crossings are on the rise. The Ministry of Foreign Relations in Guatemala also issued a statement warning against illegal migration. "The immigration policies of the United States of America have not changed, so that the people who try to make this dangerous trip, are exposed to immediate expulsions, they also risk their assets, their health and their lives for the risks they encounter on the way," they said.