Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
On Saturday, June 27, 2025, the city of Brownsville came together to lay Seaman Angelina Resendiz to rest in a moving ceremony marked by military tradition, emotional tributes, and a growing call for reform. The funeral was held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where hundreds of mourners—family, friends, service members, and local residents—gathered to honor the 21-year-old sailor whose life ended under tragic and still-unresolved circumstances.
Angelina’s casket, draped in the American flag, was carried by U.S. Navy pallbearers and accompanied by full military honors, including a 21-gun salute, the sounding of Taps, and a flag-folding ceremony. The folded flag was presented to her mother, Esmerelda Cantu Castle, who stood beside her daughter’s casket wearing white, Angelina’s favorite color. As grief overtook her, Esmerelda expressed the surreal pain of the moment: “It’s still unreal… every time it crosses my mind, like, ‘Angie’s in there.’”
Beyond the sorrow, the gathering carried a more profound message. Veterans and advocacy organizations in attendance used the occasion to question the Navy’s handling of Angelina’s disappearance and death. The family alleges that her case was not treated with urgency, and her mother has led calls for transparency and accountability from military leadership.
The funeral was followed by a candlelight vigil at the Brownsville Event Center, where speakers—including Angelina’s sister—remembered her as vibrant, strong, and full of light. “She hated darkness,” her sister said. “She loved the light.”
The ceremony served not only as a farewell, but as a public stand for change. The community’s response reflected both the heartbreak of loss and a unified demand that the military do better in protecting its own, especially young women like Seaman Resendiz.
