Key facts
- A Guatemalan man deported from the U.S. and his wife were found dead in a sugarcane field in southwestern Guatemala.
- Their 1-year-old daughter was found alive beside them.
- The couple, Nixon Giovanni Perez and Glendy Marisol Gonzalez, were found with their hands tied behind their backs.
- The infant girl and the couple's two other children have been placed in the care of extended family members.
- The couple had been reported missing last week.
- Nearly 32,000 people have been deported to Guatemala in the first six months of 2026, with over 90% from the U.S.
A Guatemalan man, Nixon Giovanni Perez, who had been deported from the United States, and his wife, Glendy Marisol Gonzalez, who recently self-deported to join him, were found dead in a sugarcane field in southwestern Guatemala. Their 1-year-old daughter was discovered alive beside them, and their two other children have been placed with extended family.
Perez and his brother were detained by immigration agents in Missouri last year while en route to roofing jobs. Perez, who had fled violence and poverty in Guatemala, was deported. Gonzalez returned to Guatemala in recent weeks to reunite with her husband. She was an active member of an immigrants' rights organizing committee and had an asylum court date set for 2027.
Authorities found the couple with their hands tied behind their backs. The prosecutor's office is investigating the deaths. The incident highlights the dangers faced by immigrants deported from the U.S. In the first six months of 2026, nearly 32,000 people were deported to Guatemala, a 47% increase from the previous year, with over 90% originating from the United States. Guatemala's government has announced plans to enhance security measures amid a recent spike in murders attributed to organized crime.