LAREDO, Texas — Laredo police said six people found dead on a train were already deceased by the time officers arrived in Laredo, as officials released new details about the case and a clearer timeline of the train’s route.
Laredo Police Chief Miguel Rodriguez said authorities initially did not realize what they were dealing with. “We did not know what we had at the beginning. We did not know that it was a human smuggling situation…” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said the train originated in Long Beach, California, on May 7. It arrived in Del Rio on Saturday, May 9, where people were loaded onto the train, police said. The train then traveled to San Antonio on May 10 before continuing to Laredo, arriving at 3:21 p.m., according to police.
The bodies of six individuals from Mexico and Honduras were discovered later that same day, police said.
A seventh victim, identified as Nereo Garcia, was found along train tracks in southwest Bexar County on Monday. A relative said yesterday that Garcia’s intended final destination was San Antonio.
Laredo’s mayor called the incident a tragedy and said the city is seeking additional security measures to prevent it from happening again. “We are demanding justice for these lives lost. It doesn’t matter where they came from,” the mayor said.
Beyond the timeline, officials provided few additional details about the investigation into a potential smuggling operation. Laredo police said Homeland Security Investigations is continuing to lead the investigation. HSI agents attended the news conference but did not speak.