August M
Texas authorities uncovered 23 migrants hidden inside the cab of a truck during a roadside stop in La Salle County,
A routine roadside check along a South Texas interstate turned into a major human-trafficking arrest late last month, after officers encountered a truck behaving unusually on the highway shoulder.
What began as a license inspection quickly led authorities to a concealed group of migrants crammed into a sleeper compartment.
A roadside stop
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officials told 20 Minutos that the arrest occurred on November 28 as part of Operation Lone Star, the border-security initiative launched by Governor Greg Abbott in 2021.
Troopers had been conducting traffic stops when a truck drew their attention by traveling along the side of the interstate.
During the initial inspection, the officer learned that the driver, identified as 24-year-old Laredo resident John David Amaya, lacked the commercial driver’s license required to operate the vehicle.
Clues and discovery
Local authorities, 20 Minutos reported, have been instructed by the US Department of Transportation to monitor commercial drivers closely, including compliance with English-language rules. The trooper’s suspicions deepened due to the erratic shoulder driving.
A police dog was brought in to search the truck, leading officers to 23 migrants hidden inside the sleeper cab. According to 20 Minutos, the group included people from Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico.
Charges and consequences
DPS transferred the migrants to US Border Patrol for processing. Amaya was arrested and now faces 23 counts of human trafficking, a felony under Texas law.
Governor Abbott signed legislation in 2023 establishing a minimum 10-year prison sentence for those convicted of such offenses.
Sources: 20 Minutos, Texas Department of Public Safety, U.S. Department of Transportation
