LAREDO, Texas – Five of the six people found dead inside a shipping container Sunday in Laredo have been identified, according to the Webb County Medical Examiner’s Office.
A seventh person, who is a Mexican resident believed to be connected to those found in Laredo, was discovered along railroad tracks in southwest Bexar County on Monday, according to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
He was identified on Wednesday as Nereo Aguilar Garcia, 49, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office.
According to a Tuesday news release from the Webb County Medical Examiner’s Office, the identities of five people found in Laredo are:
- 56-year-old man from Mexico
- 45-year-old man from Mexico
- 29-year-old woman from Mexico
- 24-year-old man from Honduras
Six of the bodies were discovered just after 3:30 p.m. Sunday during a rail yard inspection in north Laredo.
The Webb County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the woman from Mexico died due to hyperthermia. While exams for the other five people remain pending, officials believe it is likely they all suffered the same cause of death.
Salazar said his office believes the train originated in Del Rio and had a door open to allow people to load in before the train split, with half going to Houston and half going to Laredo.
The medical examiner’s office said it believes the “individuals originated from Mexico and Honduras.” The office said it is working closely with the Mexican Consulate to facilitate communication with families of the deceased.
The Department of Homeland Security is investigating the case as a potential human smuggling event, according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson.
The discoveries took place a little more than a year after two guilty verdicts were reached in the 2022 migrant smuggling tragedy along Quintana Road, which left 53 people dead, making it the nation’s most deadly.
Referencing Sunday’s tragedy, Laredo Mayor Victor D. Treviño said in a statement that it is “a reminder of the ongoing humanitarian challenges along the border and the need for solutions that prioritize both security and human life.”
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