The Yuma 14

The dead were coordinates on topographical maps, identified by GPS numbers and in the beginning identified as John Does with assigned numbers. All were found in the same general subset of coordinates: they were all within a region bound by N.32/W.113. They are not listed in any particular order. There is more information about some of the men than others. Unlike the many who remain John Doe with an assigned number and buried in a pauper’s cemetery, with the exception of the guide, known as Lauro, all the dead were ultimately identified with their real names and claimed by family members.

Some spoke English as a second language. Their indigenous language was their first, probably Oaxaca from Veracruz. Most were small-plot farmers, coffee growers, a schoolboy and his dad. The Mexican government spent $68,000 to fly these men home to be buried in their homeland. For all of them, this was their first plane trip, but unlike those who died at Los Gatos Canyon, they had the dignity of names, rather than referred to as deportees.

Note: Most of the information in this website comes from The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea and articles in the Tucson Citizen, the Tucson Republic and Arizona.central.com

1. N. 32.21.85/W. 113.18.93
Edgar Adrian Martinez Colorado (16—other accounts say he was 23) from Cuautepec, (Hill of the Eagle) Veracruz. Rescuers found him alive but he was in bad shape. As the chopper landed he died. He had a girlfriend and he was walking so he could build her a house. He walked with his uncle, Jose Isidro Colorado, who survived the ordeal, and his godfather, Victor Flores, who also died. Edgar had worked with Reymundo Barreda Sr. at the Coca Cola plant and played soccer for their team. He earned $8 a day and supplemented his income by picking coffee beans for $4 a day. Edgar and his godfather are buried side by side.  [http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/projects/desert02/5_23_02desert_sidel.html]
[http://cdom.org/wtc/wtc_archives/wtc060701/wtc_pages/feature_articlel.html]

2. N. 32.21.85/W. 113.18.94.
Abraham Morales Hernandez in his black pants was cooked half to death. He wore white tennis shoes. His body was not claimed for one month.

4. N. 32.23.16/W. 113.19.52
John Doe #41-  Reymundo Barrerda Maruri, Sr. (54 or 56),  from El Equimite in Veracruz, wore maroon pants and his favorite spur belt buckle. His shoes were gone and only wore one black sock. He called his daughter, Minerva, before they left Sonoita to tell her everything was great. He had once worked in a cannery in Ohio and migrant harvesting at a Mississippi ranch. He had been working for Coca Cola when he was laid off. He was wearing a fake silver watch, had six Mexican coins, one comb, a belt buckle with a spur inlaid, four pills in a foil strip—possibly Advil, or allergy gelcaps.    [http://www.azcentral.com/news/specials/migrants/0826tragedy.htm]l

5. N. 32.13.16/W. 113.19.51.
John Doe #43 Alejandro Maurin Claudio; wore black pants and a horse head belt buckle. There was one small mirror in his pocket and a green handkerchief.

6. N. 32.23.16/W. 113.19.54
John Doe #39 Mario Castillo Fernandez (25) wore blue jeans.  His belt buckle had a rooster inlaid in silver. Mario was a coffee and citrus plantation worker. He had been in the U. S. illegally in the past in Galena, Illinois.  His wife, Irma Vasquez Landa, was related to Nahum Landa, one of the survivors. They had two children ages five and six. He dreamed of building them a house and owning a small store. He borrowed $1900. He was wearing a belt buckle with a fighting cock inlaid, and had a wallet in the right front pocket of his jeans. 
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/projects/desert02/5_25_02desert.html
[http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/projects/desert02/5_25_02desert_sidel.html]

7. N. 32.23.17/W. 113.19.45
John Doe #44 Arnulfo Baldilla Flores (Heriberto Baldillo) When he was found, his white shirt still looked remarkably clean. His white shoes were scuffed. He had a wad of pesos in his pocket and a letter from somebody in his pocket. He was the godfather of  Edgar Martinez. They are buried side by side. 

8. Julian Ambros Malaga (24), a former soldier, and Rafael Tamich’s brother-in-law. Rafael survived. Julian wore his favorite red-striped soccer jersey. He wanted to build a cement house for his mother. He had recently married and he and his wife were expecting a baby in October. He had a note from his bride in his pocket. He tore up his money and prodded Rafael to walk and save himself. He threw himself into the sunlight and that’s where he stayed.
http://www.racematters.org/mexicansdiedemigrating.htm

9. N. 32.23.16/W. 113.19.55
John Doe #38 Reyno Bartolo Hernandez (37) was found face up.  He was a coffee farmer and Enriques Landero Garcia’s compadre, both from San Pedro. Don Moi’s operation lent him $1800. He wore green pants and green socks, a gesture by his wife, Augustina Romero, for him to look nice. They had been married for 19 years.  They couldn’t have children and in 1988 they adopted a four year old girl He rests in a graveyard high on a hill, above lush farmland and coffee farms. http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/projects/desert02/5_23_02desert.html

10. N. 32.23.17/W. 113.19.54
Enrique Landeros Garcia (30) was headed to Illinois. He was from the  coffee village of San Pedro Altepepan and walking to make a better life for his wife, Octavia Fabian (23) and son Alexis.  She didn’t want him to go. Don Moi asked him for $1700 which he didn’t have. He arranged a loan, payable upon employment. All he had was a new pair of cowboy boots. He didn’t tell Octavia he was going. When he got to the pickup site, in Martinez de la Torre, he took off the boots and pulled on an old pair of sneakers. He left his boots with his friend to take to Octavia. He knew she would understand. 
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/projects/desert02/
[http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/projects/desert 02/5_23_02desert_sidel.html]

Octavia still tends the farm that she owned with her husband. Her 27 year old brother and 7 year old son, Alexis helps tend the plants. With the coffee market so bad, she thinks of making it through the desert but she will not leave without Alexis and her in-laws won’t let her go because they already lost a son. They don’t want to lose a grandson.

11.  GPS N.32.23.18/W. 113.19.59
Lorenzo Hernandez Ortiz. He and his wife, Juanita Hernandez Sanchez, age 34, had five children, ages 3-12. When the coffee prices fell he lost his way of making money. He borrowed $1700 at 15% interest. He was found besides an ancient saguaro. He was on his back, his eyes open to his enemy, the sun. It was 110 degrees before noon when they found him.  He was a friend of Nahum Landa. Juanita ran to the community phone on May 23, 2001, her five children trailing behind her down a dark rocky road. It was an anonymous caller telling her of her husband’s death.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/projects/desert02/5_24_02desert.html

12. GPS N.32.24.40/W.113.22.53 
John Doe #47 Efrain Gonzales Manzano, died in sight of the Mohawk Valley and the freeway. His arm revealed a tattoo that said ”Maria.” His two brothers survived.

13. John Doe #48. Lauro, one of the guides, was found dead beneath a bush. He wasn’t even planning on taking this journey but the guide that was supposed to accompany Mendez, by the name of Medrano, did not show up, and Lauro was enlisted. His body was never claimed. He was in his late 20s to early 30s when he died. He was wearing black wrangler jeans and a brown belt with a white buckle of a horse.   http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/projects/desert02/5_24_02desert_side2.html
(note: if this link does not work type in your browser Lauro or John Doe #48)

14.  Heriberto Tapia. The cutters found him alive and got him off the ground and into a chopper. As they tried to get an IV into him he died.

The survivors:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/05/24/national/main293124.shtml

1. Nathum Landa Ortiz
2. Jose Antonio Bautista (Nathum’s nephew)
3.. Mario Gonzalez Manzano was headed for Lake Pleasant, Florida. He had been there before.
4. Isidro Gonzalez Manzano (Chilpancingo called Villagrande), brother of Mario, both brothers found prickly pears to eat, but not soon enough to help save their brother Efrain.
5. Jose de Jesus Rodriguez said he died at 3 in the afternoon. He came back from the dead at 11 at night.
6. Francisco Morales Jimenez  climbed a peak and  started throwing things from his pockets away in despair.
7. Jose Isidro Colorado Huerta (Edgar Martinez Colorado) (23) ---Edgar’s uncle. He started to fall asleep as he walked, knowing he would fall and never awaken. Then he heard his daughter’s voice. He walked again until he was spotted.
8. Rafael Tamich Gonzalez (28), corn farmer from Apixtala (looked Mayan or Aztec, easy smile, quick to laugh, good manners and talked with his hands), lived in a thatch roofed home on a dirt road. Took care of his wife and year-old daughter and an extended family that included his mother, two sisters and their four daughters. He had a brother in North Carolina. He had gone ahead but missed his connection and was forced to meet this group in Sonita.
9.  Maximino Hilario
10. Javier Santillan
11. Javier Garcia, small, with big whiskers and bald, a joker.
12. Mendez, aka Antonio Lopez Ramos, Chuy, Rooster Boy, Jesus Lopez Ramos. Sentenced to sixteen years in prison.

And it begins again—another year—another performance

Headlines:
3 crossers die in desert April 2, 2004 

The bodies of  three men found in the desert last week mark an early beginning to a grim tally of heat related deaths of illegal border crossers.

The men all died on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation over the course of the week, said Rob Griffin, a spokesman for the Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector. The first to die was 30-35 years old. He was found near the village of Gu Yo on March 21 by a Border  Patrol rescue agent who had tracked him down and tried to administer CPR. The second death was of a 25-30 year old man found March 23, near the village of Topawa. The third was of a 20-25 year old man found west of Sells. None were identified but all are believed to be illegal entrants.....