In Brooks County, authorities are used to picking up bodies of migrants who died trying to illegally cross the border in search of better opportunities and asylum. The county-a vast ranchland thick with thorny shrubs, cactus, and oak trees-is considered one of the deadliest places on America's southwest border.

Texas has seen more than 200 remains whose identities remain unknown to this day. In 2017, authorities recorded more than 500 fatalities in the county alone-merely a fraction of the death toll along the border in Texas.

Bodies or skeletal remains found along the border showed the suffering the people went through before their horrible deaths. Many froze during the winter, while others died under the summer's sweltering heat and dehydration. Some die alone; some die together.

However, there were a few who met the worst possible deaths trying to chase the elusive 'American dream.'

[WARNING: Photos and videos might trigger certain emotions. Proceed with caution.]

Miriam Luna

Luna was a 19-year-old migrant from Guatemala when she died trying to climb over the border in Texas.

Authorities said the young mother slipped and fell on her back after climbing to the top of the 18-foot-high steel mesh fencing. She was trying to cross with her unborn child's father.

According to a news report, the victim was a social worker in her country. Her 26-year-old partner, Dilver Garcia, reportedly carried her away from the scene and sought help from the border patrol agents.

Giron Luna died on March 12, 2020, due to severe injuries. Doctors were also unable to save her unborn baby, who was already at 30 weeks. Her partner remained in the US Border Patrol custody, awaiting deportation.

Pharr-Reynosa Suicide

On January 8, 2020, an unidentified, 30-year-old Mexican man killed himself after being denied entry to the United States.

The man reportedly attempted to cross the Pharr-Reynosa border seeking asylum. He was standing yards away from the international dividing line when he raised a hand to his neck and slit his own throat.

It is unclear why the man killed himself.

Miller Family

In November 2019, a family of 9 were ambushed by an armed group less than 100 miles from the Arizona border.

The victims were said to be traveling from the town of Bavispe were attacked by men thought to be part of one of the several cartels due to territorial disputes.

Authorities found one of the family's vehicles burned. Inside the Chevrolet Tahoe, five charred bodies were discovered---including five children with the youngest ones being a pair of 8-month-old twins.

Mexican military also recovered a white Chevrolet Suburban 18 kilometers away. Inside the car was 43-year-old Dawna Ray Lanford and her two children aged 11 and 2. All three were shot.

A third vehicle about 2 kilometers away from the border contained a 29-year-old woman Christina Marie Langford Johnson, who was also shot.

Oscar Alberto Martinez Ramirez

The portrait was captured by a journalist in June 2019 and made rounds among many media outlets and social media platforms. The picture is, by far, one of the most powerful and disturbing photos of refugees and migrants.


Oscar Alberto Martinez Ramirez , 25, and his 23-month-old daughter Valeria died after they tried to swim through the Rio Grande river. Tania Vanessa Avalos, wife and mother of the victims, said the water seemed manageable when they set-off together with Valeria tucked under her father's shirt.

The family reportedly left their neighborhood in El Salvador after it was overrun by drugs, extortion, and violence controlled by a local gang. With hopes of receiving a better life in the United States, the trio decided to leave despite high risks.

They arrived in the border city of Matamoros but found the international bridge closed. They walked along the banks of the river and decided to cross through the river where the Oscar and his daughter were swept away by the strong currents.

Their bodies were uncovered a few hundred yards away, fixed in one last embrace.