Texas — A federal grand jury has indicted 11 people for their alleged roles in a human smuggling operation that prosecutors say led to the deaths of seven migrants found inside a sealed shipping container on a Union Pacific freight train in Texas earlier this year.
The indictment, returned in the Western District of Texas, alleges the defendants operated a human smuggling organization from at least April 2023 through May 12, 2026, using cargo trains to transport people who had illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border farther into the United States.
According to federal prosecutors, each migrant or their family paid smugglers between $1,500 and $10,000 to facilitate the journey.
Investigators allege that on May 9, smugglers transported seven migrants—including a 14-year-old child—to a stationary Union Pacific train near Del Rio, Texas. Using bolt cutters, they allegedly broke the lock on a sealed Conex shipping container, placed the group inside, and secured the container from the outside before the train departed for San Antonio.
The container, which was stacked atop another shipping container, reportedly had no ventilation or cooling system. Federal investigators said outside temperatures that day ranged from 88 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit.
After the train arrived in San Antonio, prosecutors allege smugglers opened the container, found the occupants in medical distress, and fled the scene. One deceased migrant was allegedly left near railroad tracks in San Antonio while the remaining victims remained inside the container.
The following day, a Union Pacific employee in Laredo discovered a leg protruding from the shipping container. Authorities found six deceased migrants inside, while the seventh victim was later located near the railroad tracks in San Antonio.
According to the Justice Department, the victims included four Mexican nationals and three Honduran nationals, including the 14-year-old child. Investigators also said at least one migrant sent messages to a loved one pleading for help while trapped inside the container.
The indictment names 11 defendants from Texas, Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. Two defendants remain at large, while nine have been arrested. One defendant, Mayra Alejandra Huerta of Del Rio, has remained in federal custody since her arrest in May on an initial charge of harboring illegal aliens.
All defendants are charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death and aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Sentences would be determined by a federal judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation was conducted by the Homeland Security Task Force, a multi-agency initiative involving federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Federal prosecutors emphasized that the indictment contains allegations only, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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