Texas train cart found with 6 dead migrants inside came from Long Beach
A train boxcar in which six immigrants were found dead in Laredo, Texas, on Sunday came from Long Beach, police officials said.
The six victims, who came from Honduras and Mexico, are believed to have died of heatstroke during the deadly journey, but authorities said Thursday they believe they boarded a freight car on a Union Pacific train during a stop in Del Rio, Texas, on Saturday.
“This tragedy weighs heavily on all of us,” Laredo Mayor Victor D. Treviño said at a news conference Thursday. “I understand that every life lost is a tragedy, but there are also crimes against humanity and our American principles,” he said.
Laredo Police Chief Miguel A. Rodriguez Jr. said Laredo Police received a call Sunday at 3:21 p.m. about bodies found in the boxcar.
“That’s when we saw the bodies and immediately started an investigation,” said Rodriguez.
A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman said in a statement that the discovery was made by a Union Pacific employee.
“[Homeland Security Investigations] “The Laredo Police Department, with the assistance of the Texas Rangers, is actively investigating this case as a potential human trafficking incident,” the spokesperson said. “Due to the ongoing investigation, no additional information can be released at this time.”
A preliminary investigation revealed the victims included a woman and two men from Mexico and three men from Honduras, Rodriguez said.
Investigators believe the train departed from Long Beach on Thursday, May 7, and headed east toward Texas. On Saturday, May 9, the train arrived in Del Rio, Texas, where Investigators believe the immigrants boarded the freight car, Rodriguez said.
The train then headed to the San Antonio area and Laredo, where the bodies were found.
Laredo Police assisted with the investigation, but the Department of Homeland Security and Homeland Security Investigations are handling the investigation, Rodriguez said.
“Right after we realized this was a human trafficking situation, we contacted our partners through Homeland Security Investigations and our partners at border patrol,” Rodriguez said.
In an email, a Union Pacific spokesperson said the company was assisting authorities in the investigation.
“Union Pacific is saddened by these events and continues to work closely with law enforcement,” the company said in a statement.
At a press conference on Thursday, officials called the incident a tragedy and appealed to undocumented immigrants not to take such risks with their lives. Rodriguez said he is confident arrests will be made.
“This is a stark reminder of the dangers of human trafficking,” Treviño said. “Those responsible for trafficking human beings and subjecting them to such dangerous and inhumane conditions must be held accountable,” he said.
