A Texas sheriff’s deputy intercepted a pickup truck hauling a trailer packed with large round bales. Stuffed inside the hollowed-out bales were about a dozen illegal aliens being smuggled into the U.S. interior.
Fayette County, Texas, Sheriff Keith Korenek reported on Tuesday that drug interdiction Sgt. Randy Thumann stopped a white Ford F-250 pickup truck hauling a gooseneck hay trailer shortly after noon on Tuesday. Inside the round bales of hay, Thumann found about 12 migrants who were being smuggled into the interior of the country.
The traffic stop took place on Interstate 10 near the 658 mile marker between San Antonio and Houston. This location is nearly 250 miles from the Texas-Mexico border.
Sheriff Korenek said Thumann discovered the hay bales had been carved out and modified to hide illegal aliens inside the bales. The human smugglers used metal frameworks and layers of hay to evade detection.
“This method of concealment is not only deceptive but incredibly dangerous to human life,” the sheriff explained. “Smugglers continue to use increasingly creative and hazardous techniques to transport individuals across Texas highways.”
Officials identified the alleged human smuggler as 44-year-old Delbert Flanders, a Kansas resident. Medical crews transported Flanders to a local hospital for undisclosed medical treatment. Two Houstonians, 22-year-old Adanaylo Lambert and 25-year-old Lency Delgado Fernandez, were identified as the “coordinators” and were taken into custody. The Houstonians face state and federal charges related to human smuggling.
Sheriff’s office officials turned the 12 migrants over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers for processing and removal.
Breitbart Texas has written about the exploits of Sgt. Thumann since July 2016. Over the years, he and his K-9 partners, along with other deputies within the department, have been responsible for the seizure of massive loads of drugs, millions of dollars in currency, and the occasional human smuggling interdiction.
Assisting Sgt. Thumann in this interdiction were Texas DPS troopers, the Flatonia Police Department, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office deputies, and Fayette County EMS.
The incident remains under state and federal investigation, Sheriff Korenek stated.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
