A federal grand jury in Texas has issued a superseding indictment against 14 people for their alleged roles in a human smuggling conspiracy that left seven people dead, the Justice Department announced Monday.
The charges stem from a failed smuggling attempt in May, when seven individuals were locked inside an unventilated shipping container on a cargo train. The victims, who included a 14-year-old child, died during the journey.
According to court documents, the smuggling organization operated from at least April 2023 through May 2026. The group charged individuals or their families between $1,500 and $10,000 to smuggle them across the southern border and move them further into the United States using cargo trains.
On or about May 9, smugglers used red bolt cutters to open a shipping container on a stationary Union Pacific train in Del Rio, Texas, the Justice Department said. They loaded the seven people inside and shut the door, which could not be opened from the inside. Outside temperatures that day ranged from 88 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the train reached San Antonio, the smugglers opened the container and discovered the victims in peril, according to the indictment. The smugglers fled, leaving one deceased person near the railroad tracks and the remaining victims inside the container. The investigation revealed that at least one victim sent messages pleading for help.
The train continued to Laredo, where a rail yard worker spotted a leg sticking out of the container on May 10. Law enforcement officers discovered six more bodies inside. The deceased included four Mexican nationals and three Honduran nationals.
“Those who show a reckless disregard for the rule of law and treat human beings like cargo for their own financial gain will be held accountable under this administration,” Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said.
Twelve defendants face charges of conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Other charges among the group include money laundering and bringing aliens to the United States causing serious bodily injury. Eleven of the defendants were initially indicted in July.
Indictments are allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.