Latest news with #DelbertFlanders
Fox News
24-05-2025
- Fox News
Alleged human smugglers arrested in Texas after hiding migrants inside hollowed hay bales
Suspected human smugglers were arrested this week while allegedly attempting to hide migrants inside modified hay bales, officials said. Deputies conducting a routine traffic stop on a pickup pulling a hay trailer Tuesday near Flatonia, Texas, noticed that the bales inside the trailer had been hollowed out to create compartments, the Fayette County Sheriff's Office said. After looking more closely, the deputies noticed there were people inside the bales in "dangerously confined spaces" below 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 said in a release. "Smugglers continue to use increasingly creative and hazardous techniques to transport individuals across Texas highways." U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said deputies did a closer inspection after reaching out to the Border Patrol's Sector Intelligence Unit for assistance when inconsistencies emerged as they questioned the driver and passengers of the pickup. Twelve migrants were found hidden inside the hay bales. The driver, Delbert Flanders, 44, of Kansas, was taken to a hospital for treatment, and the accused coordinators of the operation — Adanaylo Lambert, 22, and Lency Delgado Fernandez, 25 — were taken into custody and face federal and state human smuggling charges. The migrants were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for processing. In a separate incident, two human smugglers were sentenced May 15 after a series of high-speed chases near the border. A judge sentenced Juan Miguel Regalado to 66 months in prison, while Samuel Grajeda Jr. was previously sentenced to 30 months. Both must also serve three years of supervised release.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Daily Mail
They look like ordinary bales of hay but cops make a VERY surprising discovery during traffic stop
Cops have made a surprising discovery in what appeared to be ordinary bales of hay. A shocking series of photos have shown how sheriff's deputies uncovered a human smuggling operation after discovering multiple undocumented immigrants hidden inside meticulously altered hay bales during a routine traffic stop in Texas. The disturbing discovery was made on Monday afternoon when Fayette County Drug Interdiction Sergeant Thumann pulled over a white Ford F-250 towing a gooseneck trailer loaded with round hay bales on Interstate 10 near Flatonia. What appeared to be an ordinary agricultural load then turned into a major bust. On closer inspection, cops realized the hay bales had been carefully hollowed out to create secret compartments for human cargo. Multiple undocumented individuals were found crammed inside the dangerously confined spaces, hidden behind metal frameworks and layers of hay. Driver Delbert Flanders, 44, from Kansas was taken to hospital for medical treatment following the traffic stop at approximately 12.50pm on the busy interstate highway. The disturbing discovery was made on Monday afternoon when Fayette County Drug Interdiction Sergeant Thumann pulled over a white Ford F-250 towing a gooseneck trailer loaded with round hay bales on Interstate 10 near Flatonia Two Houston residents identified as the operation coordinators were also arrested and now face serious federal and state charges related to human smuggling. Adanaylo Lambert, 22, and Lency Delgado Fernandez, 25, were taken into custody as authorities moved quickly to shut down what appears to be a sophisticated trafficking network. Sheriff Keith Korenek described the smuggling method as 'not only deceptive but incredibly dangerous to human life' as temperatures in Central Texas soar during the summer months. 'Smugglers continue to use increasingly creative and hazardous techniques to transport individuals across Texas highways,' Korenek wrote in a post shared to social media. The undocumented immigrants discovered inside the hay bales were turned over to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement for processing as the investigation continues. Multiple agencies assisted with the bust including Texas DPS, Flatonia Police Department, Fayette County Sheriff's Office deputies and county emergency medical services. The post sparked widespread shock on social media. 'The creative minds of criminals. Unbelievable!' one commented. Sheriff Keith Korenek described the smuggling method as 'not only deceptive but incredibly dangerous to human life' as temperatures in Central Texas soar during the summer months Another wrote: 'It's miserable walking to the car right now in Central Texas. 'The poor souls in those round bales must have been cooking with no ventilation. That is desperation on a level I feel blessed to have never experienced.' The case remains under active investigation by the Fayette County Sheriff's Office working alongside federal authorities.
