The United States is facing a massive surge of migrants along its borders. Thousands of people from Central America flee their homes in search of a better, and safer, life in the U.S.

In Guatemala and Honduras, many take the dangerous journey north through Mexico hoping for asylum in the country. Many are kidnapped and killed along the way.

More than two-thirds of the migrants from Central America experienced the murder or kidnapping of a loved one before they left heading north. A study conducted by a medical charity said 42.5 percent of interviewees spoke of the violent death of a relative.

Local drug cartels kidnap many asylum seekers in Mexican border cities. Others were assaulted, threatened, and extorted for money. Outside shelters, migrants reported witnessing a murder.


Colombia's Coca Farm

The growing violence stems from cocaine routes and territorial disputes between drug cartels found in border cities such as Ciudad Juarez. The damage goes back to the 1970s when American users spent billions of dollars on cocaine.

Cocaine is produced along the Andes Mountains. It was distributed by criminal organizations, including the Medellin Cartel famously led by Pablo Escobar. The drug cartels flew cocaine to the Bahamas, and then to South Florida.

When authorities cracked down on popular routes that brought shipments from Colombia to Miami, the cartels shifted their directions towards Mexico and Central America. They also worked with the Colombian government to destroy coca farms and dismantle the Caribbean route.

The move triggered a cycle of extreme violence fueled by criminal groups. The violence is slowly destroying Guatemala and Honduras---countries considered as some of the most violent places in the world.


The Rise of the Central American Drug Trade

The cocaine trade spurred on after drug cartels found new routes in Mexico. The country already had a well-establish drug route for marijuana and heroin. The shipments made stops in Central America---particularly in Honduras, Guatemala.

Both countries had just survived a civil war. The war, which lasted more than three decades, saw many people killed by death squads, with others suffering from torture before their demise.

Their governments were weak and criminal organizations had sway. Corruption was also widespread.

In Mexico, the Sinaloa and the Zeta cartels were gaining traction and more territories, forcing the government to respond. These created problems for cocaine traffickers as it became harder for them to ship the drug straight to Mexico.

Their solution: ship it to Guatemala and Honduras, where foot soldiers can transport the illicit drug into Mexico by land. Both countries were grappling with stabilizing their economy following a devastating war. Central America became the core of the cocaine drug route.

Violence surged in both countries, forcing state governments to crack down on the cartels and their trade routes. The U.S. government supported the harsh policies imposed to combat organized crime.

Local military forces arrested thousands, filling up prisons. However, the violence never ceased. Today, both countries have death rates that match that in active warzones, sending many fleeing to the U.S. with hopes of finding a life away from blood and murder.


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