Eleven individuals have been federally indicted in connection with the deaths of seven migrants who were found deceased in a rail cargo container in Laredo, Texas, in May. The migrants, including a 14-year-old boy, were from Honduras and Mexico and died of hyperthermia after being trapped in the un-air-conditioned, sealed container.
According to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons, six bodies were discovered inside the shipping container at a Union Pacific Rail Yard in Laredo. Another individual was found left for dead near the train tracks in San Antonio. The group had boarded the train in Del Rio with the intention of reaching San Antonio. When smugglers opened the container door there, one person fell out, prompting the smugglers to close and abandon the container.
The following day, a rail yard worker found the other six victims. The indictment charges the 11 defendants with two counts: conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death, and aiding and abetting the transportation of aliens resulting in death. If convicted, they face up to life in prison.
The indictment states that the migrants paid between $1,500 and $10,000 for the journey. The temperatures on the day of the incident ranged from 88 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit (31 to 33 degrees Celsius). The container, which was stacked on another, lacked ventilation and could not be opened from the inside.
Officials reported that four of the defendants are U.S. citizens, two are permanent U.S. residents, and five were in the U.S. without legal status. One defendant was arrested in Del Rio on May 12, and eight more were apprehended in central and south Texas. Two individuals, a man and a woman, remain at large.
Smuggling operations involving trains have been a persistent concern, particularly as U.S.-bound trains often stop in Mexico before crossing the border, creating opportunities for smugglers. In 2023, two people died among 17 found in rail cars near Knippa, Texas. In 2022, two smugglers were sentenced to life in prison for their role in the deaths of 53 migrants found in a tractor-trailer in Texas.