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Father deported on Christmas Eve, died attempting to return to one-year-old daughter

May 21, 2026 · Mexico

Father deported on Christmas Eve, died attempting to return to one-year-old daughter

Denis Isaías Anariba Herrera, a 24-year-old Honduran, was deported on Christmas Eve 2025 and died of heat exposure while attempting to return to his one-year-old daughter and wife in the United States. He had lived in Houston for five years before his deportation. After spending approximately two months in Mexico, Anariba boarded a Union Pacific freight train in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, headed toward Texas in May 2026. He died inside a railroad container along with six other migrants from extreme temperatures while trapped in the car. His mother, Denia Herrera, recalled his last message to her: "Never forget my little girl, always go see her, visit her." His father, Isaías Anariba, a 47-year-old farmer and construction worker, had emigrated to the U.S. when Denis was a child. His aunt Lilian described him as hardworking and quiet. His family is raising funds for his funeral, planned for May 21 in Houston.

Timeline

May 21, 2026Funeral planned for Denis in Houston following arrival of his remains
May 10, 2026Denis died of heat exposure inside Union Pacific freight train container near Laredo, Texas; six other migrants also died in the same car
Dec 24, 2025Denis Isaías Anariba Herrera deported to Honduras on Christmas Eve

Sources

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