American hiker Ian Treger vanishes while visiting Peru as family pleads for help
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118+ best Amazon Prime Day deals, hand-picked and updated live for 2026 World NewsAmerican hiker Ian Treger vanishes while visiting Peru as family pleads for help
By Nicholas McEntyre Published June 20, 2026, 4:55 a.m. ETSee more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The New York Post on GoogleA Virginia man vanished while hiking the historic Andes mountains in Peru and hasn’t been heard from in over a month, sparking an intense search through the rugged terrain, his family says.
Ian Treger, a 29-year-old from Lexington, Va., last spoke with his family when he was traveling in the Peruvian city of Cusco on May 13, his mother Michelle Ludwig wrote on GoFundMe.
He had arrived in the South American country on May 11 for his 10-day trip and had been staying at an Airbnb when he wasn’t doing rigorous hikes on the “high-risk” mountain trails, family friend Donna Welch told WDBJ.
Welch recalled that Treger was last seen on surveillance footage leaving his Airbnb.
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Treger – a teacher of English in Latin America – was reported missing, according to a missing persons report released by the Peruvian National Police on June 2.
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Investigators have had no success in their search for Treger as they don’t know which of the several trails the missing tourist went on, according to the outlet.
Police in the Cusco region have launched multiple searches for Treger, including helicopter crews and teams on land with the High Mountain Rescue Units, according to Peruvian state news outlet Andina.
Officials with the local police have had a difficult time during the manhunt as Treger’s phone has gone offline.
“We don’t have reliable information on where the tourist has gone, and that complicates things for us,” a police spokesperson told the outlet as they tried to track Treger by his phone’s location. “Suddenly it’s turned off, which makes geolocation even more difficult.”
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Peruvian officials seemed to narrow down their efforts to two locations, Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain and Choquequirao archaeological park, in southern Peru.
Treger is described as 5-foot-10, with a medium build and two fish tattoos on his right calf.
“Please help me fund costly private search & rescue efforts. The area is extremely large with hazards around every corner,” Ludwig wrote.
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The frantic mother shared trail maps on the fundraiser that showed large areas of the land that traversed through with “high risk slopes” and “dangerous ravines.”
“Everyone who knows or has met Ian enjoys his sense of humor, appreciates his love of life, is fascinated by his many tales of travel, and will never forget his beautiful smile & bright blue eyes,” Ludwig said.
Ludwig has since traveled down to Peru and is working with the US Embassy to help search for her son, weeks after he went missing.
“The Trump administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans, and the U.S. Embassy in Peru has been closely engaged since Mr. Treger’s disappearance was reported. We would refer you to Peruvian law enforcement for questions regarding their search effort,” a State Department spokesperson told WDBJ.
Officials in Peru have recovered Treger’s laptop from the Airbnb and are sending it back to the US, with hopes it has information on his whereabouts.
“We just love Ian and we’re just so worried of what has happened to Ian because it is not like him to not be in contact with his family and we are very concerned,” Welch said.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
