Central American Transmigrants Trade U.S. Salvage Cars for Profit

Julio César Pisquiy Nimatuj and other Central American transmigrants operate a cross-border trade by purchasing salvaged vehicles from United States scrapyards and auctions for resale in their home countries. These drivers fly to the U.S., acquire damaged cars, and perform basic repairs before beginning a 2,000-mile journey south to Guatemala.

This trade serves as a lucrative economic alternative in regions with high poverty rates; the World Bank Group reports that 55 percent of Guatemala's population lives in poverty. For some, such as Nimatuj, this venture is more profitable than other local business interests, including body shops and optometrist clinics.

The journey involves severe risks, including deadly accidents and frequent extortion by cartels during transit through Mexico. To mitigate these dangers, drivers utilize solidarity networks and treat extortion payments as a standard cost of doing business.