6 Bodies Found in Train Car Near US-Mexico Border
Richard Luscombe
Six people were found dead in a freight train car at a rail yard in Laredo, Texas, near the US-Mexico border, on Sunday afternoon. A Union Pacific worker made the discovery during a routine inspection, with temperatures reaching 32°C. Authorities are investigating, and no survivors were found.
Texas authorities are investigating after six people were found dead inside a freight train car at a rail yard near the US-Mexico border on Sunday afternoon local time.
The discovery was made by a Union Pacific railroad worker during an inspection of a train stopped at the yard in Laredo, before it was to continue its journey north. A Laredo police spokesperson, citing Union Pacific, said the find occurred around 2:30 p.m., with outdoor temperatures exceeding 90°F (32°C). No survivors were found inside the car.
"This is a very unfortunate incident. Too many lives have been lost," said Jose Espinoza, public information officer for the Laredo Police Department, speaking to CNN. He added that the ages and immigration status of the victims have not yet been determined, emphasizing that the investigation is in its early stages.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed awareness of the incident and referred further questions to the Laredo Police and the Texas Rangers.
Sunday's discovery echoes an incident in 2024, when 20 migrants were found locked inside a train compartment in Laredo and rescued by CBP officers while suffering from dehydration. According to the Laredo Morning Times, Laredo is the busiest international trade port in the US, with an average of 12 trains entering daily from Mexico, carrying nearly 1,500 container loads.
Union Pacific, one of the largest railroad operators in the US, runs many of those trains. The company said it is cooperating with authorities. "Union Pacific is deeply saddened by this incident and is closely coordinating with law enforcement to investigate," said Daryl Bjoraas, a company spokesperson.
The Trump administration has tightened anti-illegal immigration measures along the Texas-Mexico border, but recent claims that border crossings have dropped to zero face skepticism. Axios reported that CBP data shows 8,000 people were apprehended attempting to cross in March, a 15% increase from 2025.
Meanwhile, plans to close a controversial immigration detention center at Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, about 600 miles (966 km) from Laredo, are reportedly advancing. At least three detainees have died at the ICE facility there, and in March the facility also experienced a measles outbreak.
In 2022, 53 migrants, including six children, from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador were found asphyxiated inside a locked tractor-trailer with no air conditioning or water, after being packed into the truck in Laredo for transport to Fort Worth, Texas. Two men who abandoned them, Felipe Orduna-Torres and Armando Gonzales-Garcia, were sentenced to life in prison last year, while five others face human trafficking charges.
