Multiple bodies found inside Union Pacific freight train in Laredo TexasSunday afternoon. A major investigation is underway by local authorities.
According to the Laredo Police Department, officers responded shortly after 2:30 p.m. local time near mile marker 13 at 12100 Jim Young Way, near the Union Pacific Railroad Yard north of Laredo.
Police confirmed that multiple bodies were found inside the train, but did not immediately release the exact number of victims or identify the dead.
Read more: Texas man sentenced to death for stabbing girlfriend and 8-year-old son to death
Officials are withholding their identities and the investigation is ongoing.
As of Sunday evening, investigators had not released the identity of the deceased or released details about possible survivors. Authorities have not confirmed whether the train originated from Mexico.
Officials have also not publicly revealed the cause of death, how long the body may have been in the train car, or whether foul play is suspected. Investigators are currently working with federal authorities and the medical examiner to determine the circumstances of the death.
The discovery was made during a period of intense heat in South Texas. Weather data on Sunday showed temperatures in Laredo climbing to nearly 95 degrees Fahrenheit, while the heat index was reported as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
Authorities have not confirmed whether heat exposure caused the deaths.
However, the location of the discovery has fueled speculation that the men may have been migrants trying to cross the border via a cargo route often used by smugglers.
Read more: Florida man sentenced to death for raping, killing neighbor in 1998
Transit routes under re-examination
Laredo is located across from Nuevo Laredo and is one of the busiest trade and freight corridors between the United States and Mexico. Immigration and people-smuggling networks have long used freight trains traveling through the region to evade closely monitored highway checkpoints.
Given the location, the nationality of the deceased is in question. However, police declined to confirm the victim’s nationality or immigration status.
In one recent case cited by border officials, the U.S. border patrol In July 2024, Laredo Borough agents rescued 23 immigrants after they were found locked inside the carriages of a Union Pacific train. Authorities said the men were safely evacuated before developing serious complications.
