FLATONIA, TX — A traffic stop on Interstate 10 in Fayette County led to the discovery of undocumented individuals hidden inside altered hay bales, according to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.
The stop happened around 12:50 p.m. Tuesday, May 20 when law enforcement pulled over a white Ford F-250 towing a gooseneck hay trailer near mile marker 658 outside Flatonia. Upon inspection, deputies found that several round hay bales had been hollowed out and modified to conceal people inside.
The compartments contained multiple illegal immigrants confined behind metal frames and layers of hay. Authorities said the individuals were smuggled in dangerously tight quarters.
“This method of concealment is not only deceptive but incredibly dangerous to human life,” the sheriff’s office stated. “Smugglers continue to use increasingly creative and hazardous techniques to transport individuals across Texas highways.”
The driver, identified as 44-year-old Delbert Flanders of Kansas, was transported to a hospital for treatment. Two others — 22-year-old Adanayo Lambert and 25-year-old Lency Delgado Fernandez, both of Houston — were also arrested and face federal and state charges related to human smuggling. The undocumented individuals were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Texas DPS, the Flatonia Police Department, Fayette County deputies, and county EMS assisted in the stop.
The case remains under investigation by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and federal authorities.
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