Six people were found dead inside a freight boxcar near Laredo, Texas, after a rail car that traveled from Long Beach, California, made its way through Del Rio and into Webb County. Laredo Police Department, the Webb County Medical Examiner’s Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and Sheriff Javier Salazar in Bexar County are all involved as investigators try to piece together when and how the passengers died.

The bodies were discovered just after 3:30 p.m. on a Sunday at a rail yard in the 12000 block of Jim Young Way, roughly 15 miles north of downtown Laredo. Responding officers found six people inside the boxcar and immediately treated the incident as a possible human smuggling case. Local authorities closed portions of the yard while investigators processed the scene and coordinated with federal partners.

Officials say the train began its route in Long Beach, California, and traveled east toward Texas, with investigators believing several people boarded a boxcar in Del Rio over the weekend. Police suspect at least six individuals entered the compartment in Del Rio on Saturday, although it remains unclear where the passengers intended to go. Authorities have not confirmed the exact time the occupants died, and they continue to look for physical evidence that might clarify the timeline.

The Laredo Police Department and federal agencies are treating this as more than a single tragic incident; it’s being investigated as a human smuggling situation that exposed people to lethal conditions. The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have both been named as partners in the probe. Detectives are interviewing witnesses, reviewing train manifests and working to trace the entire route to uncover how the boxcar was accessed.

The Webb County Medical Examiner’s Office released identifying information about five of the six people recovered from the boxcar, listing ages and countries of origin. The identified individuals are:

• A 56-year-old man from Mexico
• A 45-year-old man from Mexico
• A 29-year-old woman from Mexico
• A 24-year-old man from Honduras
• A 14-year-old boy from Honduras

The medical examiner determined the 29-year-old woman from Mexico died of hyperthermia, a finding that raised immediate concern about the conditions inside the boxcar. Exams for the other five people were still pending at the time officials released the initial information, though investigators said it was likely they suffered the same or similar causes of death. The office is coordinating closely with the Mexican Consulate to notify families and help with repatriation processes.

A seventh body connected to the case was found later along railroad tracks in southwest Bexar County, and the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office identified him on Wednesday as Nereo Aguilar Garcia, 49, a resident of Mexico. Sheriff Javier Salazar said the train had passed through Bexar County after moving out of the Del Rio area and that at least one freight car had a door left open to allow people to climb in. Salazar described a scene in which the train’s freight split, with half the cars destined for Houston and half for Laredo, complicating efforts to track where riders might have intended to go.

Investigators are trying to reconcile how people got into the boxcar, whether smugglers were involved locally, and who may have been responsible for allowing access. Train crews, yard employees and witnesses along the route are being interviewed, and surveillance and maintenance records are being reviewed for clues. Federal and local investigators also say they are looking into whether criminal networks exploited routine freight movements to transport people in dangerous ways.

Beyond the immediate criminal investigation, the episode highlights the lethal risks migrants face when they attempt to travel hidden inside freight equipment. High temperatures, lack of ventilation and long, bumpy journeys in sealed compartments can all turn a desperate trip into a fatal one. Authorities emphasize that anyone with information about the train’s movements, suspicious activity in the Del Rio area, or contacts who may have been involved should come forward to assist in the ongoing inquiry.