Forty migrants go missing near San Andrés Island, family in U.S. left without answers

JOURNALIST’S NOTES

interview subject

María José Sánchez, 33, grew up in San Juan de Colón in the Ayacucho municipality of Táchira, Venezuela. She was a student when the country’s situation deteriorated to the point where she could not complete her professional studies. She migrated to Chile in 2017 and then to the United States in 2022. She works for an operations logistics company. Her sister-in-law and best friend Mileden Nataly Porras Alviárez attempted to migrate into the United States illegally and has been missing since October 21, 2023.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

According to the Colombian navy, between 2022 and 2023, four boats carrying migrants disappeared on the route between San Andrés, Colombia, and Nicaragua. The authorities are considering two hypotheses: one is a shipwreck, and the other is possibly related to migrant trafficking. Read more here.

SAN ANDRÉS ISLAND, Caribbean ꟷ My sister-in-law Mileden Nataly Porras Alviárez paid smugglers $900 to travel from Venezuela to the San Andrés Island in an effort to come to America. She informed us of her departure date of Saturday, October 21, 2023 and after speaking briefly, she shared her cell phone’s GPS location so we could monitor her travel.

Around 8:15 p.m., we lost contact. To this day, it remains unclear what happened to Mileden. Despite our persistent inquiries, every authority and international organization we contact meets us with silence. We fear we may never know all the details but remain determined not to let the matter rest. My family unanimously made the decision to continue searching, not only for Mileden, but for the other missing migrants including children and a young pregnant girl.

Read more immigration stories at Orato World Media.

Family left shattered as young woman and 40 migrants vanish

After living in Venezuela and Chile for years, I decided to move to the United States in search of opportunities. Initially, my sister-in-law Mileden planned to come, but circumstances prevented her. I settled in America and when my brother and niece arrived, we immediately began researching my sister-in-law’s trip from Venezuela.

Despite our efforts, we failed to uncover the safest migration route, when a contact suggested an alternative: cross through the Darién Jungle. While the route proved shorter, the smugglers offered no details or safety assurances. When we spoke to Mileden, she mentioned during the trip she would be changing locations multiple times.

The uncertainty gave us pause. After all, Mileden would be traveling alone. Nevertheless, Mileden’s daughter (my niece) and I prepared for her arrival with eager anticipation. Then, we suddenly lost contact with Mileden on October 21 at 8:15 p.m.

By the next day, anxiety set in. I scoured social media and any possible means to find clues of her whereabouts, but I came up empty handed. Her location remained a mystery, prompting us to contact a relative in Colombia for help. That relative agreed to go look for her.

Upon reaching San Andrés Island the Monday after Mileden went missing, our worry only deepened. Local authorities remained unaware of a missing boat with over 40 passengers. Desperation consumed us as I cried, prayed, and shook. Mileden was my best friend. I imagined all sorts of sea accidents as I watched my brother and niece waiting for news. The experience shattered us.

Authorities find no trace of missing migrants, families face a wall of silence

For five days, our family member searched San Andrés Island for my sister-in-law while the authorities searched for the boat. Not a single piece of wood surfaced. We clung to a sliver of hope and our faith remained steadfast. While this initial search uncovered no clues, nearly eight days later, authorities found passports and bags, including Mileden’s, in Costa Rica.

My niece cried and cried, waiting for her mother. I refuse to give up. This girl needs her mom, and my brother needs his wife. We feel like victims and despite submitting multiple requests to the FBI for help, we see no progress. The disappearance of so many migrants plunged many families like ours into chaos. Mothers, brothers, husbands, and children anxiously await their return.

In an attempt to discover the truth and identify those responsible, we launched campaigns and sought support from organizations and the media. We have seen widespread sharing of information, yet we continue to face a wall of silence, even here in the U.S. Investigators theorize what happened, but no proof exists, leaving us without the closure we need. We suspect some people know more than what they shared but are not speaking out.

We need to focus on this ongoing migrant crisis around the world. The current state of migration causes families severe suffering. Even as I ask for help with finding my sister-in-law, my thoughts remain with the other families who are hurting, and I keep my faith in God. I refuse to give up hope and remain dedicated to doing everything in my power to find Mileden. I will not rest until she is home. I want her to know that since the day she went missing, we have no peace, we will not stop looking, and we are waiting for her.