Federal indictment accuses 11 in Texas rail-container deaths
A federal grand jury in Texas has indicted 11 people in an alleged human-smuggling operation that used freight trains to move migrants from the Del Rio area toward San Antonio and Laredo. The indictment, filed July 22, 2026, alleges that seven migrants died after being placed inside a sealed shipping container on May 9.
The Justice Department announced the charges July 24 as part of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation. The department’s announcement was updated July 27. The case is being prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
What prosecutors allege
According to the indictment, the organization operated from at least April 2023 through May 12, 2026. Migrants, or their families and friends, allegedly paid between about $1,500 and $10,000 to be moved farther into the United States.
Prosecutors allege that the route began after migrants crossed from Acuña, Mexico, into the Del Rio area. Smugglers then allegedly used Union Pacific freight trains and shipping containers to move people beyond Border Patrol checkpoints along the route between Del Rio and San Antonio.
The indictment describes smugglers coordinating routes, guides, stash houses and drivers. The records describe the alleged misuse of rail equipment by smugglers; they do not accuse Union Pacific or the broader freight industry of participating in the scheme.
The May 9 journey
On May 9, while a Union Pacific train was stopped near Del Rio, smugglers allegedly used red bolt cutters to open a locked Conex container. Seven migrants, including a 14-year-old child, were loaded inside before the door was secured from the outside.
The container was stacked above another container and had no ventilation or cooling system, according to the indictment. It could not be opened from inside. Recorded outdoor temperatures that day ranged from 88 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit.
The indictment alleges that the migrants were confined near the end of the container among cardboard boxes. At least one person allegedly messaged a loved one pleading for help as conditions worsened.
How the deaths were discovered
After the train reached San Antonio, the indictment alleges that smugglers opened the container, found the migrants in peril and fled. One person was allegedly left near the railroad tracks, while the others remained inside the container.
The train later continued south toward Laredo. On May 10, a worker at a Union Pacific rail yard saw a leg extending from the container. Six migrants were found dead inside. San Antonio authorities later found the seventh person dead near railroad tracks.
The victims included four Mexican nationals and three Honduran nationals. One was the 14-year-old child. The Justice Department and the indictment describe the deaths and the alleged circumstances; this article does not treat a specific medical cause as a final adjudicated finding.
Who was charged
All 11 defendants face one count of conspiracy to transport migrants resulting in death and one count of aiding and abetting transportation resulting in death. Each charge carries a statutory maximum of life in prison if a defendant is convicted.
Mayra Alejandra Huerta was arrested in Del Rio on May 12 and initially faced a harboring charge, according to the Justice Department. The department said eight other defendants were arrested during a multiday operation the following week. Karina Garcia and Seferino Huerta-Casillas remain at large, according to the department.
The potential penalties are statutory maximums, not expected sentences. Any sentence would depend on a conviction, the federal Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
What happens next
The case will proceed in federal court in the Western District of Texas. Expected next steps include arraignments, detention hearings and additional court filings.
The indictment contains allegations only. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The case also highlights how commercial freight systems can be exploited by organized smugglers to move people beyond border-area checkpoints, creating public-safety risks that extend beyond the border itself.
Sources
Look for updates to this story
Discover more from Interactive News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.