Texas train cart found with 6 dead migrants inside came from Long Beach
A boxcar in which six migrants were found dead Sunday in Laredo, Texas, came from Long Beach, police officials said.
The six victims, from Honduras and Mexico, are believed to have died of heat stroke during the deadly journey, but authorities said Thursday they believe they boarded the boxcar aboard a Union Pacific train Saturday, during a stop in Del Rio, Texas.
“This tragedy weighs heavily on all of us,” Laredo Mayor Victor D. Treviño said during a news conference Thursday. “I understand that every life lost is a tragedy, but there are crimes against humanity and against our American principles.”
Laredo police received a call about the bodies found in the boxcar at 3:21 p.m. Sunday, Laredo Police Chief Miguel A. Rodriguez Jr. said.
“That’s when we saw the bodies and immediately started an investigation,” Rodriguez said.
A spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement that a Union Pacific employee made the discovery.
“[Homeland Security Investigations] is actively investigating this matter as a potential human trafficking event with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department and the Texas Rangers,” the spokesperson said. “Due to the ongoing investigation, no additional information can be released at this time.”
Rodriguez said a preliminary investigation revealed the victims included a woman and two men from Mexico, as well as three men from Honduras, Rodriguez said.
Investigators believe the train left Long Beach on May 7 and headed east toward Texas. On May 9, the train arrived in Del Rio, Texas, where Rodriguez said investigators believed the migrants had boarded the boxcar.
The train then headed to the San Antonio and Laredo area, where the bodies were discovered.
Rodriguez said Laredo police are assisting in the investigation, but the Department of Homeland Security and Homeland Security Investigations are leading the investigation.
“Immediately upon recognizing that 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 with the investigation.
“Union Pacific is saddened by these incidents and continues to work closely with law enforcement,” the company said in its statement.
At Thursday’s news conference, officials called the incident a tragedy and urged undocumented immigrants not to take such risks with their lives. Rodriguez said he was confident arrests would be made.
“This is a stark reminder of the dangers of human trafficking,” Treviño said. “Those responsible for trafficking and placing human beings in such dangerous and inhumane conditions must be held accountable. »
