11 charged in federal indictment after alleged train smuggling killed 7 migrants

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - A federal grand jury in Del Rio returned an indictment charging 11 defendants in connection with a human smuggling operation that authorities say left seven people dead.

The case is now moving forward in federal court.

What prosecutors say happened

The U.S. Department of Justice says prosecutors are targeting an alleged smuggling network accused of using cargo trains to move migrants through Texas. The organization is alleged to have operated from at least April 2023 through May 12, 2026.

On May 9, smugglers brought seven migrants to Union Pacific tracks in Del Rio. Each migrant — or their family — paid anywhere from $1,500 to $10,000, prosecutors estimate.

While the train was stopped, the indictment says smugglers used bolt cutters to cut a lock off a shipping container, forced the migrants inside, and shut the doors. The container was stacked on top of another, had no ventilation or cooling system, and could not be opened from the inside. Outside temperatures that day ranged from 88 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit.

The train then headed toward San Antonio. When it arrived, the indictment alleges smugglers opened the container, found the migrants in distress, and fled — leaving them behind.

The next day, the train continued south to Laredo. At the Union Pacific Rail Yard, a worker saw a leg sticking out from a container. Prosecutors say six migrants were found dead inside. A seventh was later found dead near the railroad tracks in San Antonio.

The investigation also revealed that at least one person inside the container messaged a loved one, pleading for help, according to the Justice Department.

Timeline of events

• Thursday, May 7 — Union Pacific train departs Long Beach, California.
• Saturday, May 9, 1:23 p.m. — Train arrives in Del Rio. Smugglers load seven migrants into a Conex shipping container using red bolt cutters to break the lock. The container has no ventilation and cannot be opened from the inside.
• Saturday, May 9, 6:17 p.m. — Train arrives in the San Antonio area. Smugglers open the container, find the migrants in distress, and flee the scene.
• Saturday–Sunday, May 9–10, around midnight — Train departs San Antonio area, continuing south toward Laredo.
• Sunday, May 10, around 3 p.m. — Train arrives in Laredo. A Union Pacific rail yard worker sees a leg sticking out from the container. Six migrants are found dead inside. Laredo police receive the call and contact federal partners.
• Sunday, May 10 — A seventh migrant is found dead and abandoned near railroad tracks in San Antonio.
• Monday, May 12 — Mayra Alejandra Huerta is arrested in Del Rio and charged with one count of harboring illegal aliens. She remains in federal custody.
• Wednesday, May 14 — Laredo police hold a press conference. Mayor Dr. Victor Treviño says preliminary medical reports indicate the victims did not die in Laredo.
• Week of July 13 — Eight additional defendants arrested during a multiday Homeland Security Task Force operation across central and south Texas.
• Week of July 20 — Federal grand jury returns the indictment charging all 11 defendants.

The victims

The victims included four people from Mexico and three from Honduras — including a 14-year-old child. Preliminary medical reports indicate the group likely died from extreme heat. Three have been identified by their families:

• Carlos Alvarez, 45, Mexico
• Denis Sanariva, 24, Honduras
• Nelson Davian Portillo Martinez, 14, Honduras
• Man, 56, Mexico — name not released
• Woman, 29, Mexico — name not released
• Man, age unknown, Honduras — name not released

The seventh victim’s information has not been released.

The defendants

Nine of the 11 defendants have been arrested and have court hearings pending. Karina Garcia and Seferino Huerta-Casillas remain at large.

All 11 are charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death and one count of aiding and abetting transport of illegal aliens resulting in death. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

• Karina Garcia, 37, of Del Rio, Texas
• Edson Alejandro Perez, 18, of Del Rio, Texas
• Seferino Huerta-Casillas, 35, of Mexico
• Jonas Ulloa-Aguilera, 25, of Honduras
• Mayra Alejandra Huerta, 32, of Del Rio, Texas
• 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, Texas
• Franklin Williams Ayala Aguilera, 30, of Honduras
• Pascual Raymundo Loarca, 34, of Guatemala

What prosecutors are seeking to seize

Court records show prosecutors want to seize assets they say are connected to the case, including approximately $53,000, several guns, multiple vehicles, and a property in Del Rio.

Read the full indictment here:

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