Authorities claim that the people discovered in the hay bales do not have legal status.
FAYETTE COUNTY, Texas — At least a dozen people who authorities claim do not have legal status were found concealed inside altered hay bales during a traffic stop in Fayette County this week, officials confirmed to KVUE.
A Fayette County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) deputy conducted a traffic stop on a white Ford F-250 truck that was pulling a flatbed trailer loaded with round hay bales on Interstate 10 near Flatonia. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said after “inconsistencies emerged during questioning,” the sheriff’s office reached out to CBP’s Sector Intelligence Unit (SIU) for assistance.
After the SIU “provided intelligence” to the FCSO, deputies conducted a more thorough search of the vehicle and trailer and discovered the hay bales had been altered to create concealed compartments. Deputies discovered at least a dozen people inside those compartments, hidden behind metal frameworks and layers of hay.
FCSO said the driver of the vehicle, Delbert Flanders of Kansas, was taken to a hospital for medical treatment. The CBP said he was later taken into custody and charged with smuggling of persons.
Meanwhile, FCSO said the “coordinators of the operation,” Adanaylo Lambert and Lency Delgado Fernandez of Houston, were also taken into custody and are facing federal and state charges related to human smuggling.
CBP said the vehicle and trailer were seized by local authorities, and FCSO said the case remains under investigation in coordination with federal authorities.
FCSO said the people found inside the hay bales were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for processing, and CPB said the people will be “processed accordingly.”