Eleven people have been charged in connection with an alleged human smuggling operation that federal prosecutors say led to the deaths of seven illegal aliens, including a 14-year-old child, who were trapped inside a sealed shipping container aboard a Union Pacific freight train in South Texas.
The indictment, unsealed this week in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, alleges the defendants participated in a smuggling organization that transported illegal aliens into the United States using cargo trains between April 2023 and May 2026.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the organization charged migrants or their families between $1,500 and $10,000 to facilitate illegal entry into the United States.
Seven Found Dead
Federal prosecutors allege the fatal incident began on May 9, 2026, after smugglers illegally transported seven illegal aliens from Acuña, Mexico, into the Del Rio area.
According to the indictment, the group cut the lock off a Conex shipping container attached to a stationary Union Pacific train using bolt cutters before loading the migrants inside. The container reportedly had no ventilation or cooling system and could not be opened from the inside once it was secured.
The outside temperature that afternoon ranged between 88 and 92 degrees, investigators said.
The train departed Del Rio and traveled east toward San Antonio.
When the train arrived, prosecutors allege members of the smuggling organization opened the container, discovered the migrants were in medical distress, and fled. One deceased migrant was allegedly left near railroad tracks in San Antonio, while the remaining occupants were abandoned inside the shipping container.
The following day, after the train reached a Union Pacific rail yard in Laredo, an employee spotted a leg protruding from the container. Authorities discovered six deceased illegal aliens inside. Law enforcement later located the seventh victim near the railroad tracks in San Antonio.
According to investigators, the victims included four Mexican nationals and three Honduran nationals, including a 14-year-old child. Federal authorities also said investigators recovered evidence showing at least one migrant sent messages to a loved one pleading for help before dying.
Eleven Defendants Charged
The indictment charges the following defendants:
- Karina Garcia, 37, of Del Rio
- Edson Alejandro Perez, 18, of Del Rio
- Seferino Huerta-Casillas, 35, of Mexico
- Jonas Ulloa-Aguilera, 25, of Honduras
- Mayra Alejandra Huerta, 32, of Del Rio
- Maria Norma Neri de Moran, 56, of Mexico
- Damian Huerta Analucas, 55, of Mexico
- Rosario Cristal Lopez-Saldana, 26, of Mexico
- Eric Hernandez, 40, of Eagle Pass
- Franklin Williams Ayala Aguilera, 30, of Honduras
- Pascual Raymundo Loarca, 34, of Guatemala
Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death and aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death. If convicted, each faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
Mayra Alejandra Huerta has remained in federal custody since her arrest on May 12. Federal authorities said eight additional defendants were arrested during coordinated Homeland Security Task Force operations across Central and South Texas last week.
Two defendants — Karina Garcia and Seferino Huerta-Casillas — remain fugitives.
Homeland Security Task Force Investigation
The investigation was conducted under the federal Homeland Security Task Force initiative, a multiagency effort established by executive order to combat illegal immigration, transnational criminal organizations, human smuggling, and child trafficking.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons announced the indictment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Spears, Todd Keagle, and Ashley Ellis-Dotson.
Federal investigators from Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, U.S. Border Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and multiple local law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation.
As with all criminal cases, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Provided by Dallas Express
