PATRIOT BRIEF
- What Happened: A DPS Trooper discovered 23 illegal immigrants hidden in a truck’s sleeper cab during a traffic stop on IH-35.
- Why It Matters: Texas’ Operation Lone Star continues to intercept human smuggling operations that federal authorities fail to stop.
- Bottom Line: The driver faces a mandatory 10-year minimum if convicted — Texas isn’t playing games with smugglers
Texas law enforcement delivered another blow to the ongoing human smuggling crisis after a DPS Trooper uncovered 23 illegal immigrants packed into the sleeping compartment of a semi-truck during an Operation Lone Star stop in La Salle County.
The incident occurred Friday, Nov. 28, just after 5 p.m., when a DPS Trooper pulled over a white Freightliner tractor for driving on an improved shoulder along Interstate 35. What began as a routine traffic violation quickly turned into a smuggling bust.
NEW: 23 illegal immigrants found stuffed inside a truck cab during a traffic stop in La Salle County, Texas.
24-year-old John David Amaya, who was driving the vehicle without a commercial driver's license (CDL), was pulled over during a traffic stop.
When a DPS Trooper searched… pic.twitter.com/Mm7wAXMlPG
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 5, 2025
The driver, identified as 24-year-old John David Amaya of Laredo, was operating the commercial truck without holding a commercial driver license. Suspicious of the situation, the Trooper requested assistance from a Border Patrol K-9 unit. The dog alerted, and a search of the cab revealed a scene that has become far too common under today’s border crisis: 23 illegal immigrants hidden inside the truck’s sleeping area.
The immigrants were nationals of Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico. All were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol for processing.
Amaya was arrested and charged with 23 counts of smuggling of persons, each a state jail felony. And in Texas, that charge carries real weight. Under legislation signed by Governor Greg Abbott in 2023, anyone convicted of human smuggling faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison. If found guilty, Amaya is headed for a long stay behind bars.
Operation Lone Star continues to expose just how brazen human smugglers have become — and how critical state intervention remains as the federal government refuses to secure the border.
Once again, DPS proves what effective border enforcement looks like. Texas is doing the job Washington won’t.