Graciela Peralta Bonilla is a Missing Woman — The Suitcase Detective

Report as Found / Update

---

Disappearance (Desaparición)

---

Circumstances (Circunstancias)

Graciela was originally employed as an accountant in her hometown of Cuenca, Ecuador, but had lost her job and was struggling to find new employment in the post-Covid economy. She eventually made the choice to try joining her two sisters in New York in the United States.  Without a legal visa, this meant hiring a trafficker to smuggle her illegally across the Mexico-US border.

Graciela set off for the US-Mexico border on July 7, 2021. Leaving Ecuador, she passed into Lima, Peru and then moved to Mexico City, Mexico.  She caught a bus in Mexico City and road it to Sonoyta, Sonora, a city on the border with Likeville, Arizona.  According to the plan, she was supposed to be driven through the desert and then contact her family once the trafficker dropped them off in Phoenix, Arizona.

Her family has not heard from her since July 30, 2021, the day she was supposed to start her journey across the border. Although she did not contact them again in the days that followed, they know her phone remained active because she was receiving her family’s messages. Then, one week later, her phone was turned off. One article does say that she was last seen in Gila Bend on Route 85, but it is not clear who reported the sighting or if it has been confirmed.  It appears there is little evidence that she actually left Mexico.

Graciela had mentioned to her family a woman that she met in the group intending to cross together.  This woman would eventually contact Graciela’s son to tell him that Graciela had not been there the day they crossed and did not actually go with them.  Although others contacted their families during the trip on the road, Graciela had never called her family nor did she contact emergency services.  Searches of US detention centers have not revealed any new traces of the missing woman. The trafficker later told the family that Graciela had handed herself over to the immigration offices in Gila Bend; however, they do not believe this is true. 

Then in 2022, something happened that gave the family hope that Graciela may still be alive, if perhaps still in the hands of human traffickers. On March 4, 2022, an email arrived with an invoice attached for a soda (27 pesos) from a store in Cabo San Lucas, a city on the southernmost edge of Mexico.  Graciela’s daughter received the email and confirmed that the payment account listed on the invoice was a business account Graciela had previously used for her work as an accountant. 

---

Description (Descripción)

---

Distinguishing Marks or Factors (Características Distintivas)

---

Medical Concerns (Atención Médica)

---

Suspect (Sospechoso)

---

Clothing (Ropa)

---

Vehicle (Vehículo)

---

If You or Anyone You Know Has Information About The Disappearances, Please Contact:

---

Resources

• Diaz, P. (2022) “Desde Ecuador, la familia de Graciela Peralta Bonilla pide ayuda para rescatarla en la frontera entre México y EEUU”, Univision, 5 June. Link
• Sánchez Mendieta, C. (2022) “Migrante cuencana perdida en la frontera entre EE.UU y México”, El Mercurio, 21 May. Link.

Podcasts:

---

DISCLAIMER:

The information offered through our Services is general information only. We make every effort to maintain the database and ensure the data is up-to-date and correct. However, we make no warranties or promises regarding the accuracy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of the data herein. Data is gathered primarily from NGOs, new articles, and Charity postings. This information is not intended for reliance. Under no circumstances will The Suitcase Detective or its owners & operators be liable for any problems that may result from using or reading this information. Continued use of our Services serves as evidence that you approve our Privacy Policies and Terms & Conditions.

Please do NOT copy and paste text from our blog articles. We request that readers be directed to our site instead. This allows us to ensure out-of-date information is not being shared and that readers can access the reference list. If you would like to share a story, you can either use the social media buttons or share a link to this page. The images you are welcome to share.

Related