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Six people found dead inside train car at rail yard near Texas-Mexico border
TL;DR
Six people were found dead inside a boxcar at a rail yard near the Texas-Mexico border. The discovery was made by a rail worker during an inspection, and authorities are investigating the cause of death.
Key points
- Six people found dead in a boxcar in Texas
- Discovery made by a Union Pacific employee
- Authorities investigating cause of death
- Temperatures above 90F at the time of discovery
- Ages and immigration status of the deceased unknown
Rail workers in Texas found six people dead inside a boxcar at a yard close to the Mexican border on Sunday afternoon, officials said.
The discovery was made by a Union Pacific employee inspecting the stopped train at the yard in Laredo before it continued its journey north, a spokesperson for the Laredo police department said, citing the railroad freight company.
Authorities are working to establish a cause of death for the six, who were found at about 2.30pm local time on an afternoon when temperatures climbed above 90F (32C). Nobody was found alive in the boxcar, the spokesperson said.
“It’s a very unfortunate event. It was too many lives that were lost,” Jose Espinoza, the department’s public information officer, told CNN, adding that the ages and immigration status of the deceased were not yet known
The investigation, he said, was at a preliminary stage.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it was aware of the incident, and referred questions to the Laredo police department and Texas Rangers.
Sunday’s discovery has parallels in a 2024 episode in which 20 migrants locked inside a train compartment in Laredo were rescued in a dehydrated state by CBP officers.
The Laredo Morning Times reported in 2024 that Laredo was the busiest port for international trade in the country, with an average of 12 trains per day entering from Mexico, bringing in almost 1,500 loaded containers between them.
Union Pacific, one of the largest rail operators in the US, operates many of the trains, and said it was cooperating with authorities after the deaths on Sunday.
“Union Pacific is saddened by this incident and is working closely with law enforcement to investigate,” Daryl Bjoraas, a spokesperson for the company, said in a statement.
The Trump administration has clamped down on illegal immigration at the Texas-Mexico border, but its claim that crossings have dropped to zero has been challenged in recent days. Axios reported that the CBP’s own figures said 8,000 people were apprehended trying to cross in March, a 15% increase on 2025.
Meanwhile, plans are reportedly advancing to close a sited at the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, about 600 miles (966km)from Laredo. At least three detainees have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody there, and in March the facility was also struck by a measles outbreak.
Q&A
What were the circumstances of the six deaths found in a train car in Texas?
Rail workers discovered six deceased individuals inside a boxcar during an inspection at a rail yard near the Texas-Mexico border.
What is the current status of the investigation into the deaths in Laredo, Texas?
Authorities are in the preliminary stages of investigating the cause of death for the six individuals found in the boxcar.
What were the weather conditions when the six people were found dead in Texas?
The six individuals were found on a day when temperatures exceeded 90°F (32°C) in Laredo, Texas.
