A graphic tale of skeletal human remains lies hidden in the desert. The narrative, in collaboration with Source New Mexico, shines a light on the unseen tragedy unraveling in the midst of sand dunes and foliage. SANTA TERESA, New Mexico, is the backdrop of a grim discovery on a sweltering September day. After a long search in the Chihuahuan desert, Abbey Carpenter and her ally, James Holeman, chanced upon various bones dispersed across the sandy landscape.
They found a human jawbone half-engulfed in the earth, close to a yucca plant. They also discovered vertebrae, femurs, and ribs in the vicinity. A pair of women’s purple underwear with miniature hearts on the trim and a Salvadoran passport rested next to the bones. Such discoveries occurred repeatedly that month, leading to the troubling finding of six sets of human remains overall.
Carpenter and Holeman are the founders of Battalion Search and Rescue, a volunteer organization set up in 2020. Their mission is to uncover migrant bodies lost within the desert tract just west of El Paso. Birthed out of their hard work is the poignant sight of a pink ribbon tied to a nearby twig, a silent marker for the remains they detected.
The pair later informed the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico about the poignant discovery. However, this incident isn’t isolated. Between January 2023 and August 2024, the El Paso sector witnessed the reporting of 299 human remains, surpassing any other sector along the southern border. This statistic marked a dramatic spike, more than doubling the number of cases from the preceding 20 months.
The scenario in El Paso especially has worsened annually since the region became a part of Texas’ border mission in 2022. This is in stark contrast to the decline in reported migrant remains across the rest of the border area. Governor Abbott’s office attributes this tragic loss of life to former President Joe Biden’s ‘open-border policies’, when approached for a comment.
“The disastrous increase in deaths is directly linked to the turmoil that President Biden created along the border,” expressed Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott’s press secretary. While this political discourse unfolds, multiple bodies continue to lie unclaimed in the desert for extended periods, their identities faded into obscurity.
Even after eight months from when Carpenter and Holeman’s group reported their discovery of the six bodies, many bones remained untouched. The question still hangs in the air about how state and local authorities in New Mexico aim to tackle the pressing need for additional resources to locate and identify the bodies.
In March 2021, Governor Abbott rolled out Operation Lone Star. This military initiative was designed to dissuade immigrants from illegally crossing the Rio Grande. The ambitious, multibillion-dollar mission marshaled hundreds of National Guard soldiers and state troopers across different parts of the 1,200-mile Texas-Mexico border.
At the end of fiscal year 2022, six months into the state border initiative, the Border Patrol reported the discovery of 651 bodies within the Texas-Mexico border area. This data showed a startling surge, triple the total figure from merely three years ago. Maverick County, which is home to Eagle Pass, experienced a noticeable rise in the number of migrant bodies found on the American side of the Rio Grande.
The increased deployment of personnel by Operation Lone Star, according to one observer, could be one reason why migrants are being redirected to the harsh environment of New Mexico. The city limits of El Paso had become a particularly challenging place for migrants to surrender.
Quantifying the number of lives lost in desert crossings is almost an impossible task given the manner in which bodies deteriorate if not discovered in time. This issue is compounded by a lack of clear procedures for those who live and work near the border.
Ranchers who rear cattle near the border wall voiced their frustrations about the lack of guidelines in dealing with found bodies. They describe the situation as a pressing humanitarian crisis, one that is often forgotten or overlooked. They are left to deal with incidents on an ad hoc basis, a circumstance underscored by Clopton’s experience.
The desolate landscape and the limited infrastructure only exacerbate the problem. There is a severe demand for better connectivity, such as improved cell and radio tower infrastructure in the area. The narrative thus paints the harsh reality of the border, its unique challenges, and the urgent need for effective solutions.
The post Unseen Tragedy: Migrant Bodies Discovered in New Mexico Desert appeared first on Real News Now.
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