Central American and Mexican families mourn missing bridge workers

The construction workers missing in the Baltimore bridge collapse all came from Mexico or Central America before settling in Maryland.

A cargo ship hit a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday, causing the bridge to plunge into the frigid Patapsco River, seconds before police managed to shut down the bridge to traffic. Maintenance crews did not have time to fill potholes on the bridge spans to reach safety.

At least eight people fell into the water and two were rescued. Six other people are missing and presumed dead, but search and rescue efforts continued Wednesday.

The governments of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras confirmed that their citizens were among the missing.

Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, 38, the youngest of eight siblings, is from Azacualpa, Honduras A rural mountainous area in the northwest on the border with Guatemala.

Eighteen years ago, he set out alone to seek opportunities in the United States. One of his brothers, Martin Suazo Sandoval, said Wednesday as he stood on the dirt road in front of his house that he worked as an industrial technician in Honduras, repairing equipment at large assembly plants, but the wages were too low to make a difference. Small hotel in Honduras.

“He always dreamed of having his own business,” he said.

Meno entered the United States illegally and settled in Maryland. At first, he worked any job he could find, including construction and clearing bush. Eventually, he started a package delivery business in the Baltimore-Washington area, his brother said.

Other siblings and relatives followed him north.

“He was the fundamental backbone, the bulwark, so that other members of the family could travel there and then get their visas and everything,” said Martin Suazo Sandoval. “He was really the driving force behind most of the family members being able to travel. force.”

Meno’s brother said that Meno had a wife and two children, aged 17 and 5.

The pandemic forced Meno to look for other work, and he joined Brawner Builders, which was performing maintenance on the bridge when it collapsed.

His brother said Meno never said he was afraid of the job, despite the height at which he worked on the bridge. “He always told us that you have to work extra hard to succeed,” Martin Suazo Sandoval said. “He said it didn’t matter what time or where you worked, you had to be where you were working.”

Everything was going well for him before he collapsed. He was taking the steps to obtain legal residency and planned to return to Honduras this year to complete the process, his brother said.

Although Meno failed to return to Honduras, he provided financial support to various non-governmental social organizations in the town as well as a youth soccer league, his brother said. He said the region relies heavily on agriculture – coffee, cattle, sugar cane.

Martin Suazo Sandoval said Meno’s employer disclosed the news of his disappearance to his family, shocking them, especially his mother, who still lives in Asaquialpa.

“These are difficult times and the only thing we can do is keep faith,” he said, noting that his brother can swim and could go anywhere. He said the family would work to return his body to Honduras if the worst was confirmed.

In Mexico, President Andres Manuel López Obrador said three Mexicans were on the bridge when it collapsed, one of whom was injured but rescued and two who are still missing. He said he would not name the family to protect their privacy.

Lopez Obrador said the tragedy highlighted the contribution of immigrants to the U.S. economy.

“This shows that immigrants are out doing dangerous work in the middle of the night. Therefore, they should not be treated at the hands of some insensitive and irresponsible politicians in the United States,” he said.

Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that two Guatemalan citizens were among the missing.

Salvadoran Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill Tinoco posted on X on Wednesday that one of the missing workers was a Salvadoran citizen, Miguel Luna.

Federal and state investigators said the crash appears to be an accident.