33 pages 1 hour read

Luis Alberto Urrea

The Devil's Highway

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2004

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Key Figures

Don Moi Garcia

Don Moi is a recruiter for the Northern Coyotes. Urrea’s description of him provides an introduction to the apparatus that makes the Coyote industry possible. He is a vile, rich man who lives off of the suffering and exploitation of others. 

The Walkers

It would be counterintuitive in another book, but the names of the walkers are irrelevant, or even counterproductive, to the goals of The Devil’s Highway. The walkers function as a composite of needs and dreams. Their names and stories are largely reduced to statistics to be examined, or dismissed, by those trying to decide how to frame the crisis in its aftermath. For a further examination of their stories, please revisit Chapter 11.

For quick reference, their names are:

 

·      Jose de Jesus Rodriguez

 

·      Enrique Landeros Garcia

 

·      Reyno Bartolo Hernandez

 

·      Lorenzo Ortiz Hernandez

 

·      Reymundo Barrera Maurri and his son, Reymundo Jr.

 

·      Nahum Landa Ortiz

 

·      Jose Antonio Bautista

 

·      Edgar Adrian Martinez

 

·      Jose Isidro Colorado, Victor Flores Badillo

 

·      Mario Castillo

 

·      Claudio Marin, Heriberto Tapia

 

·      Javier Santillan

 

·      Rafael Temich Gonzalez

 

·      Julian Ambros Malaga, Isidro Gonzalez

 

·      Efrain Gonzalez

 

·      Mario Gonzalez

 

·      Javier Garcia 

Daniel Cerca (Chespiro)

Chespiro is Don Moi’s frightening and shady boss. He is a combination of a loan shark, mob enforcer, and administrator of the Coyotes.