Several undocumented migrants were found hidden inside altered hay bales near Flatonia, the sheriff's office said.
During a routine traffic stop on Tuesday, a Texas sheriff deputy uncovered twelve illegal migrants concealed within hay bales in what appeared to be a human smuggling operation.The incident occurred just before 1 pm when the deputy stopped a white Ford F-250 pickup hauling large hay bales on a trailer along IH-10 near Flatonia, as reported by the Fayette County Sheriff's Office.
Upon inspection, the officer was startled to discover 12 individuals hidden within the round hay bales.
Sheriff Keith Korenek reported that the smugglers had carefully modified and hollowed the bales, creating tight spaces to conceal people from law enforcement.
The bales contained a metal framework structure with small compartments where the undocumented individuals were concealed, according to Korenek.
"Inside those compartments, deputies discovered multiple undocumented individuals being smuggled in dangerously confined spaces," the sheriff's office statement read. "This method of concealment is not only deceptive but incredibly dangerous to human life."
The F-250 driver, Delbert Flanders, 44, from Kansas, was arrested on state and federal smuggling charges and transported to a local hospital for medical attention, Korenek stated.
The nature of the medical treatment remains undisclosed by the sheriff's office spokesperson.
Authorities also apprehended two individuals identified as the operation's organisers.
Houston resident Adanaylo Lambert, 22, and Lency Delgado Fernandez, 25, faced state and federal smuggling charges.
"Smugglers continue to use increasingly creative and hazardous techniques to transport individuals across Texas highways," Korenek said in a statement.
The twelve undocumented individuals found in the modified bales were transferred to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement for processing, according to the sheriff's statement.
The arrest involved officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Flatonia Police Department and Fayette County Sheriff's Office deputies, Korneck reported.
During a routine traffic stop on Tuesday, a Texas sheriff deputy uncovered twelve illegal migrants concealed within hay bales in what appeared to be a human smuggling operation.The incident occurred just before 1 pm when the deputy stopped a white Ford F-250 pickup hauling large hay bales on a trailer along IH-10 near Flatonia, as reported by the Fayette County Sheriff's Office.
Upon inspection, the officer was startled to discover 12 individuals hidden within the round hay bales.
Sheriff Keith Korenek reported that the smugglers had carefully modified and hollowed the bales, creating tight spaces to conceal people from law enforcement.
The bales contained a metal framework structure with small compartments where the undocumented individuals were concealed, according to Korenek.
"Inside those compartments, deputies discovered multiple undocumented individuals being smuggled in dangerously confined spaces," the sheriff's office statement read. "This method of concealment is not only deceptive but incredibly dangerous to human life."
The F-250 driver, Delbert Flanders, 44, from Kansas, was arrested on state and federal smuggling charges and transported to a local hospital for medical attention, Korenek stated.
The nature of the medical treatment remains undisclosed by the sheriff's office spokesperson.
Authorities also apprehended two individuals identified as the operation's organisers.
Houston resident Adanaylo Lambert, 22, and Lency Delgado Fernandez, 25, faced state and federal smuggling charges.
"Smugglers continue to use increasingly creative and hazardous techniques to transport individuals across Texas highways," Korenek said in a statement.
The twelve undocumented individuals found in the modified bales were transferred to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement for processing, according to the sheriff's statement.
The arrest involved officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Flatonia Police Department and Fayette County Sheriff's Office deputies, Korneck reported.
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