Rising Migrant Deaths In New Mexico Border Area

This Oct. 3, 2024 image shows the Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where experts work to identify scores of presumed migrants whose remains have been found along the bord

In the last two years, the number of migrant deaths near the U.S.-Mexico border in New Mexico has increased significantly compared to five years ago. Smuggling gangs are leading migrants, mostly from Mexico and Central America, into treacherous terrains like the hot desert, canyons, and mountains west of El Paso, Texas.

During the first eight months of 2024, 108 presumed migrant bodies were found near the border in New Mexico, a stark rise from previous years. In 2023, 113 presumed migrant remains were discovered, compared to just nine in 2020 and ten in 2019. The cause of death in most cases is heat-related, as confirmed by autopsies conducted by the University of New Mexico’s Office of the Medical Investigator.