Son Mourns Father Carlos Alvarez Among Seven Found Dead in Texas Container

Six people were found dead inside a shipping container at a Union Pacific rail yard in north Laredo, Texas, on May 10. Forensic authorities believe the group died of hyperthermia caused by extreme heat.

The Department of Homeland Security is leading an investigation into the deaths, which authorities indicated may be connected to a human smuggling case.

Identification of the Victims

Webb County medical examiner Corinne Stern has identified five of the six victims. The deceased include 24-year-old Denis Sanariva, a Honduran national, and three Mexican nationals: a 29-year-old woman and two men, aged 45 and 56.

A family in Boerne, Texas, identified the 45-year-old Mexican national as Carlos Alvarez. Alvarez was a father of seven who had lived in the United States for more than 25 years before being deported to Mexico in August 2025.

He’s my dad. He gave me everything. He gave me an education. He gave me his love. He gave me his care. And finding out about this, well it’s incredibly painful for me because I know that I’ll never see him again. He was an amazing father.

Son of Carlos Alvarez

The youngest victim was 14-year-old Nelson Davian Portillo Martinez. According to family members, Nelson lived in the United States from 2016 to 2025 before leaving the country under a voluntary departure.

Nelson Portillo, the father of the teenager, said his son had hoped to return to the United States to continue his studies and rebuild his future, though Portillo stated he was unaware his son had already begun the journey back.

It’s something you never expect. The truth is, I have been deeply wounded in my heart, since he was my eldest son, my firstborn. What I didn’t know, ever, was the moment they made the decision to leave to the United States again.

Nelson Portillo