The Devil's Highway

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 

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

Mendez is the guide who leads the walkers through the Devil’s Highway. He is sucked into the gangster life at a young age, seduced by the promise of money and excitement. Mendez has every reason to believe that he will succeed in his walk or, at the very least, that the consequences of a failed operation will not be lethal. But from the start, he makes mistakes that will cost many of the walkers their lives, and land him in prison for life. 

Maradona, a part-time Coyote, seduces Mendez into the life. He knows the Devil’s Highway better than Mendez. On the morning of the walk, however, he cannot be found and is replaced by two others. When Mendez loses his way, one of his first curses is reserved for Maradona—if he had been there, he probably would have known how to lead them back to the path.  

Lauro is a young, inexperienced Coyote who will be of no use to Mendez once the group is imperiled. Accounts vary, but it is implied that Lauro is instrumental in Mendez’s decision not to go back for the group once they have left.