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LAREDO, Texas — <\/span>Six people were found dead inside a cargo train boxcar at a Union Pacific rail yard near the Mexico border in Laredo, Texas, police said. <\/p>\n The people were found Sunday as workers were inspecting one of the cars, said Jose Baeza, a spokesperson for the Laredo Police Department. They did not appear to be alive, he said. <\/p>\n Police and fire crews arrived at the scene shortly afterward. They confirmed that there were six people dead, five men and one woman, Baeza told reporters. They were not named. <\/p>\n Baeza said autopsies would be done. He did not immediately respond to a text requesting information Monday. <\/p>\n The cargo car’s travel history was not known. <\/p>\n \u201cUnion Pacific is saddened by this incident and is working closely with law enforcement to investigate,\u201d the rail company said in a statement.<\/p>\n Laredo is a busy land port of entry for trade on the U.S.-Mexico border and a common nexus for the illegal movement of people, although authorities have not said whether the six deaths were related to a smuggling operation.<\/p>\n Last year, two smugglers were sentenced to life in prison for what remains the nation\u2019s deadliest human smuggling attempt across the U.S.-Mexico border<\/a>. They were convicted in connection with the deaths of 53 migrants found in the back of a sweltering tractor-trailer in Texas in 2022. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n