A routine traffic stop on Interstate 35 in Webb County turned into a major human-smuggling bust when a Texas state trooper found 20 people, including four minors, hidden inside the sleeper compartment of a commercial truck. Investigators say the driver bolted from the scene on foot, but he did not get far before he was caught. All of the migrants, identified as citizens of Mexico and Guatemala, were turned over to federal authorities.
What the state says
In a May 26 press release and video, the Texas Department of Public Safety said a trooper stopped a white Volvo tractor just after 6:00 p.m. on May 18 near mile marker 28 on IH-35 as part of Operation Lone Star. The trooper then discovered 20 people hidden in the truck cab's sleeping area, according to Texas Department of Public Safety. The agency says the driver tried to run but was quickly arrested and booked into the Webb County Jail.
Driver charged, jail records show bond
Local coverage identified the driver as 25-year-old Miguel Angel Velazquez Chavez, a Mexican national who is facing counts of smuggling of persons and evading arrest, as reported by FOX 26 Houston. Separate reporting on jail records indicates he was booked on multiple counts, including alleged offenses involving minors, and that he remained held on bonds totaling $245,000, the Beaumont Enterprise reported. Local prosecutors are expected to review the evidence while investigators keep building the case.
Legal consequences
Smuggling of persons is a felony under Texas law, and penalties climb when the offense involves children or creates a substantial risk of serious bodily injury. Those rules are set out in Texas Penal Code §20.05, as summarized by Justia. Under that statute, prosecutors can seek enhanced felony levels depending on factors such as the victims' ages and the danger posed during transport.
Part of a broader enforcement push
The stop is one of many logged under Operation Lone Star, the state border-security initiative run by the governor's office and DPS. The Office of the Texas Governor says the program has led to thousands of interdictions and arrests since launching in 2021, and state leaders regularly cite traffic stops like this one when they tout their border-enforcement efforts.
Processing and next steps
All 20 people found in the sleeper compartment were handed over to U.S. Border Patrol in Laredo for immigration processing, and the case remains under active investigation, CBS Texas reported. Federal officials will manage the immigration side, while local prosecutors decide whether to bring additional criminal counts against anyone involved.
Public records and court filings are expected to clarify in the coming days whether prosecutors file formal indictments. We will be watching agency statements and court dockets for the next developments.
