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Trooper Finds 23 Migrants Hidden in Truck Sleeper During Routine Traffic Stop; Driver Arrested

Julia Bonavita|Fox News
11:02 AM, 12/10/2025
Trooper Finds 23 Migrants Hidden in Truck Sleeper During Routine Traffic Stop; Driver Arrested
Body camera footage shows 24-year-old John David Amaya before he was taken into custody for allegedly smuggling 23 illegal immigrants in La Salle, Texas on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, according to authorities.

During a traffic stop in La Salle County on Nov. 28, a Texas DPS trooper discovered 23 people hidden in the sleeper cab of a white Freightliner. The driver, 24-year-old John David Amaya, was arrested and charged with 23 counts of smuggling after a K-9 alerted officers. The migrants, from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico and Nicaragua, were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol. Texas law enacted in 2023 imposes a mandatory 10-year minimum sentence for smuggling convictions.

A Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper discovered 23 people hidden in the sleeper cab of a truck after pulling the vehicle over for a routine traffic stop, authorities said.

The stop occurred just after 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28, in La Salle County — about 105 miles from San Antonio — when the trooper observed a white Freightliner traveling on the improved shoulder of a central highway, DPS said.

Trooper Finds 23 Migrants Hidden in Truck Sleeper During Routine Traffic Stop; Driver Arrested - Image 1
An Operation Lone Star traffic stop uncovered 23 illegal immigrants hidden inside the sleeper compartment of a truck in La Salle, Texas, on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.

During the traffic stop conducted as part of Operation Lone Star, officers identified the driver as 24-year-old John David Amaya. The trooper learned Amaya did not have a commercial driver’s license, and body-camera footage shows the driver resisting a request to search the vehicle.

"Is that required?" Amaya asked on the body-camera video, later telling officers, "There’s no reason you should be searching the vehicle," and saying he was on the phone with his lawyer.

The trooper called in a police K-9 unit. After the dog alerted, additional officers opened the sleeper compartment and found 23 people concealed inside the cab. DPS said the individuals were nationals of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico and Nicaragua.

Trooper Finds 23 Migrants Hidden in Truck Sleeper During Routine Traffic Stop; Driver Arrested - Image 2
John David Amaya was pulled over for a routine traffic stop while driving a truck tractor in La Salle, Texas, on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.

Amaya was arrested and charged with 23 counts of smuggling of persons, according to DPS. Under a 2023 Texas law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, a conviction for smuggling carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The migrants were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol. DPS and Border Patrol did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Authorities released body-camera video as part of their account of the stop and discovery.

Context

The incident occurred amid heightened enforcement along Texas highways under Operation Lone Star, the state initiative targeting smuggling and other border-related crimes. Officials said the stop began after the Freightliner was seen driving on the roadway shoulder, prompting the trooper to investigate.

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