A routine traffic stop by Texas Department of Public Safety troopers on August 30 in Kinney County, Texas, uncovered a shocking discovery: 17 migrants hidden in a false compartment within the walls of a Lowe’s delivery truck. The truck was stopped near the border town of Del Rio due to expired tags, according to a video released by DPS.
Troopers, who are part of Texas’ Operation Lone Star border security initiative, initially stopped the truck for a routine traffic violation, but the driver, Megel Cazanna Patterson, of Mississippi, gave consent for troopers to inspect the cargo hold.
Upon entering the cargo area, a trooper noticed suspicious new wood paneling on the walls and, with the aid of a National Guardsman, began to dismantle the panels. Inside, they found 17 migrants packed into a cramped, 3-foot compartment with no ventilation.
The migrants, who were suffering from dehydration, were given medical attention. Video footage shows two women struggling to free themselves from the compartment as they slid across the floor.
The discovery was made possible by the vigilance of the DPS troopers, who are trained to detect and prevent human smuggling operations. Patterson was arrested and charged with smuggling persons with the likelihood of serious bodily injury or death.
Under Texas law, Patterson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted. The migrants were taken into custody and provided with medical attention.
