Pictures of the Year International

Eagle Pass, TX - February 02 : The body of a deceased undocumented immigrant awaits transport by the side of the highways shortly after being removed from the Rio Grande river and US-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, TX on Friday, Feb 01, 2024. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) Migrants are drawn to the Rio Grande at the Texas-Mexico border, believing it to be a safer crossing point than the vast stretches of desert, but its treacherous currents have led to a sharp increase in drownings. Eagle Pass authorities are overwhelmed by the challenge of identifying victims and managing the influx of bodies, leaving families to endure the heart-wrenching task of searching for and repatriating their loved ones. This stretch of the river has become one of the deadliest, with over 1,100 drownings since 2017, many of them women and children. Despite the implementation of barriers and increased patrols aimed at deterring migration, people continue to risk their lives in hopes of crossing.