A one-year-old girl was found alive beside the bodies of her parents in a sugarcane field in Guatemala. The parents, Nixon Giovanni Perez, 43, and his wife, Glendy Marisol Gonzalez, 25, had been reported missing several days earlier.
Discovery of the bodies
Their bodies were discovered on Tuesday outside the south-western city of Retalhuleu, about 112 miles west of the capital, Guatemala City. Police said their hands were tied behind their backs. Perez had a possible gunshot wound to his neck, and Gonzalez had suffered a fatal head wound.
Their baby daughter was found alive next to them. She and the couple's two other children have been placed in the care of extended family, according to Guatemala's prosecutor's office.
Investigation details
Investigators recovered shell casings and a pink and white Champion shoe from the area. The couple had no personal belongings with them. A red striped motorbike was also found and seized by police. Authorities have not yet said what they believe happened.
Background of the couple
The couple had been living in Missouri before Perez was deported from the US last year. His brother Rolando said Perez had originally fled violence and poverty in Guatemala. Perez worked in roofing and was detained alongside his brother while they were travelling to jobs in Overland, Missouri. Immigration agents took both men into custody, according to Rolando.
Gonzalez remained in the US with their children following her husband's deportation. She later self-deported back home to be with her family. She had been working two jobs while also helping the Missouri Workers Center. She was a member of an immigrant rights organising committee run by the group.
Tributes and fears
The organisation said Gonzalez began attending its 'Fuerza' meetings (organising sessions for immigrant workers) just three weeks after giving birth. 'She was working two jobs, bringing new members, showing up — even as her world was being torn apart,' the group wrote in a social media tribute.
Gonzalez had an asylum court date scheduled for 2027, according to the organisation. But it said that she feared she could lose custody of her three daughters if she remained in the US. 'In June, to protect her daughters and keep the rest of her family together – and fearing she might lose custody of the girls – Glendy made the impossible decision to go back to Guatemala, even with an asylum court date set for 2027,' it added.
Context of deportations
Almost 32,000 people were deported back to Guatemala during the first six months of 2026, according to UN data. That is an increase of 47% compared with the same period in 2025. More than 90% of those deportees were sent from the US, with the remainder deported from Mexico. The sharp rise coincides with Donald Trump and ICE's controversial mass deportation drive.
The deaths have highlighted the dangers that some deportees can face on returning to Guatemala, a country known for incredibly high rates of murder and violent crime. Guatemala has experienced a recent spike in killings, which its government has attributed to organised crime. Officials announced a plan on Monday to strengthen security measures across the country.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and police in Overland did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Guatemalan authorities have said they are investigating the deaths and will issue an update in due course. The Missouri Workers Center will hold a vigil for the couple on Sunday.
