Suspected human smugglers were arrested this week for allegedly trying to hide migrants inside specially modified hay bales, officials reported.
Deputies performing a routine traffic stop on a pickup hauling a hay trailer Tuesday near Flatonia, Texas, noticed the bales had been hollowed out to create hidden compartments, according to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.
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Upon closer inspection, deputies discovered people trapped inside the hay bales, confined in “dangerously tight spaces” beneath a metal framework and layers of hay.
“This method of concealment is not only deceptive but incredibly dangerous to human life,” the sheriff’s office stated. “Smugglers continue to use increasingly creative and hazardous techniques to transport individuals across Texas highways.”
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said deputies inspected the trailer further after contacting the Border Patrol’s Sector Intelligence Unit when inconsistencies surfaced during questioning of the driver and passengers.
Twelve migrants were discovered inside the hay bales.
The driver, 44-year-old Delbert Flanders from Kansas, was hospitalized for treatment. The alleged organizers — 22-year-old Adanaylo Lambert and 25-year-old Lency Delgado Fernandez — were arrested and now face federal and state human smuggling charges.
US sting catches armed felon smugglers tied to foreign prison gang and cartel: police
The migrants were handed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for processing.
In a separate case, two human smugglers were sentenced on May 15 following a series of high-speed chases near the border.
A judge sentenced Juan Miguel Regalado to 66 months in prison, while Samuel Grajeda Jr. had previously received a 30-month sentence. Both will also serve three years of supervised release.
