Thousands of Central American Migrants Missing and Hundreds Deported as Honduras Faces Surge in Returns

The Argentine forensic anthropology team (EAAF) has recorded 2,529 reports of missing migrants traveling the Central America‑Mexico‑United States corridor between 2010 and May 2026. It has identified 482 bodies – 96 Honduran, 85 Salvadoran, 84 Guatemalan and others – with recoveries in the United States (353), Mexico (128), and one in Guatemala. The project works with over 100 government and civil‑society organizations across the region to create a transnational forensic database.

In Honduras, legal expert Ilich Cornejo warns that deportations from the United States are accelerating. By mid‑2026 more than 23,400 Hondurans have been returned, an average of 129 per day, representing a 43.3% increase over the same period in 2025. If the trend continues, the country could see 45,000‑50,000 Honduran returnees by the end of the year. The surge follows tighter U.S. immigration policies and has prompted calls for legal migration pathways and stronger government support for affected families.