Twenty-three individuals were found concealed inside a semi-truck during a traffic stop on IH-35 in Texas last Friday, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).
The driver, 24-year-old John David Amaya of Laredo, was taken into custody and charged with 23 counts of smuggling of persons. DPS reported that the individuals—originating from Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico—were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol.
Body camera footage released by DPS shows the stop, which occurred just after 5 p.m. on November 28. During the interaction, Amaya told troopers he possessed a Commercial Driver’s License but did not have it with him. Troopers later determined he was operating the vehicle without a valid CDL.
Amaya declined consent for a vehicle search. A Border Patrol K-9 was then deployed, and after alerting to the presence of contraband, troopers conducted a probable-cause search. Amaya was handcuffed prior to the search, during which 23 people were found hidden in the truck’s sleeper compartment.
In its press release, DPS stated that the stop was part of Operation Lone Star enforcement efforts in La Salle County.
Under Texas law, strengthened by legislation signed by Governor Greg Abbott in 2023, anyone convicted of smuggling of persons faces a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence. If convicted, Amaya could receive significant prison time.