18 Illegal Aliens Found Dead Inside Locked Boxcar

The bodies of at least 18 illegal aliens being smuggled through Texas were found today inside a locked boxcar on a freight train, authorities said.

The aliens, who had boarded an eastbound Missouri Pacific freight train at El Paso on the Texas-Mexico border, were found dead when U.S. Border Patrol agents inspected boxcars 90 miles southeast of El Paso.

One person was found alive, authorities said.

“They appear to have gotten excessively hot. Some appeared to have gone into convulsions, evidenced by nasal bleeding in their mouths, and they were dehydrated,” said William Harrington, assistant chief patrol agent for the U.S. Border Patrol.

The bodies, discovered at about 8 a.m., had been inside the boxcar since 5 p.m. Wednesday, said M. S. Dudley, the Border Patrol agent in charge. During those 15 hours, he said, “the temperature got to 102 in El Paso, and I would suspect inside it was about 120.”

Harrington said government agents will probably never positively identify the bodies. “They were, from their outward appearance, illegal aliens . . . they don’t carry any identification,” he said.

He said clothing was scattered around the boxcar, making the process of identification even harder.

Harrington said officers were questioning the survivor, who appeared to be in good condition.

“Our agents do a routine check of all boxcars when the train officials sign for them,” he said. “I am sure that once the survivor knew of anyone in the area, he would have started screaming and making noises.

“It is not uncommon to find aliens in a boxcar,” he said. “But we just don’t find them locked inside.”