A federal grand jury in Del Rio, Texas, has indicted 11 individuals for their involvement in a human smuggling operation that left seven migrants dead inside a sealed shipping container, federal officials announced.
Details of the Indictment
The defendants face charges of conspiracy to transport illegal immigrants resulting in death and aiding and abetting the transport of illegal immigrants resulting in death. If convicted, each faces up to life in prison.
The individuals named in the indictment are: Karina Garcia, Edson Alejandro Perez, Seferino Huerta-Casillas, Jonas Ulloa-Aguilera, Mayra Alejandra Huerta, Maria Norma Neri de Moran, Damian Huerta Analucas, Rosario Cristal Lopez-Saldana, Eric Hernandez, Franklin Williams Ayala Aguilera, and Pascual Raymundo Loarca.
According to court documents, the network operated from at least April 2023 through May 12, 2026. The ring allegedly used cargo trains to move migrants deeper into the United States after crossing them from Mexico. Authorities state migrants or their families paid between $1,500 and $10,000 to smugglers in Honduras, Mexico, and the United States.
Investigators allege that in late April 2026, the group began moving seven migrants from Acuña, Mexico, into the Del Rio area. On May 9, smugglers brought the group to a rail line in Del Rio. Between 1:18 p.m. and 1:25 p.m., while a Union Pacific train sat stationary, members of the organization allegedly used red bolt cutters to sever the lock on a Conex shipping container. They loaded the seven migrants inside and shut the door.
The container was stacked on top of another unit and lacked ventilation or cooling. Outside temperatures that afternoon ranged between 88 and 92 degrees Fahrenheit. The container was secured from the outside and could not be opened from the interior.
The train traveled east along U.S. Highway 90 toward San Antonio. Investigators say that at least one person inside the container sent a message to a loved one pleading for help during the journey.
Upon arrival in San Antonio, smugglers opened the container and found the migrants in medical distress. Smugglers then fled, leaving one deceased migrant near the tracks and the remaining individuals inside the container.
The train departed south toward Laredo the following day. On May 10, a worker at a Union Pacific rail yard in Laredo noticed a leg protruding from the shipping container. Inside, authorities discovered six deceased migrants. San Antonio law enforcement later recovered the seventh victim near the tracks where the train had previously stopped.
The seven victims included four Mexican nationals and three Honduran nationals. One of the deceased was a 14-year-old child.
Mayra Alejandra Huerta was arrested May 12 in Del Rio on an initial charge of harboring illegal immigrants and remains in federal custody. Eight other defendants were arrested last week during an operation in central and south Texas. Karina Garcia and Seferino Huerta-Casillas remain at large.
Prosecution and Investigation
The case was announced by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Spears, Todd Keagle, and Ashley Ellis-Dotson are prosecuting.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
