A Guatemalan migrant was found lying dead in a field with his young son still clinging to his dead body, after they were kidnapped by a gang.

Father and Son Left to Die, Boy Survives

Authorities found Rudy Arnoldo Gonzalez, 33, with his neck slit open in the grass. His son, 10-year-old Cristian Iban Gonzalez, was barely alive, although he had also had his neck cut, leaving a 3-inch wound. Cristian was taken to a local hospital, where he was operated on and is now in stable condition.

Cristian and his father, along with his uncle and teenage cousin, were hoping to join Family living in the U.S., and they began their journey on May 28th. Their family members had hired a human trafficker, who helped them cross the southern Mexican border, but abandoned them in Mexico.

Killed After Ransom Was Paid to Gang

They were kidnapped by members of Los Zetas drug cartel, who demanded a ransom from their family members in the U.S. The family paid the kidnappers $8,000, but they say they never heard back from the kidnappers after that. A few days later, Cristian and his father were found lying on the side of a dirt road. Cristian’s uncle and cousin managed to escape.

It was reported Thursday that investigators have arrested two suspects.

This tragedy brings to light the desperation that is driving Central Americans to make the dangerous trek north, often putting their lives in the hands of smugglers. On top of the journey itself being treacherous, migrants are also routinely the victims of theft, extortion, rape, and murder.