What began as a routine traffic stop on Interstate 35 in South Texas has turned into the latest human-smuggling case tied to the state’s border security crackdown. A Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper pulled over a white Freightliner truck-tractor on the evening of November 28 in La Salle County after noticing it traveling on the improved shoulder, a common traffic violation along the busy corridor.
According to DPS, the driver, identified as 24-year-old John David Amaya of Laredo, was operating the 18-wheeler without a commercial driver’s license or the credentials required to be behind the wheel of a heavy truck. With the help of a U.S. Border Patrol K-9 unit, the trooper inspected the cab and discovered 23 migrants concealed in the truck’s sleeper compartment, crammed into the small space behind the driver’s seat.
The migrants, who DPS said were citizens of Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico, were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol for immigration processing. Jail records show Amaya was arrested at the scene and faces 23 counts of smuggling of persons, including some involving minors, along with an additional charge for possession of under one gram of a controlled substance. Bonds in the case total more than $100,000.
The stop is part of Operation Lone Star, Governor Greg Abbott’s multi-agency border initiative launched in 2021 that deploys DPS troopers and state resources along smuggling routes in South Texas. Under a 2023 Texas law that sharply increased penalties for human smuggling, Amaya could face a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence if convicted.
Texas DPS has highlighted similar truck-based smuggling attempts in recent years. In a separate 2022 incident reported by Fox News, troopers stopped another 18-wheeler and found 18 migrants hidden under a tarp in the trailer, with that driver also lacking proper licensing. Officials say such cases underscore how cartels and smuggling networks exploit commercial vehicles, often packing migrants into dangerous spaces with little regard for their safety.
The La Salle County stop adds to a growing list of prosecutions as Texas intensifies enforcement along its highways, turning seemingly minor traffic violations into entry points for uncovering large-scale smuggling operations.
