In Texas, a fake Lowe’s truck was stopped at a checkpoint where officers discovered 17 illegal immigrants hidden in a secret compartment.
If you’ve ever driven your truck in the southern United States, you’ve likely passed through a checkpoint where armed officers, sometimes accompanied by dogs, inspect vehicles. These checkpoints, especially near the Mexican border, are primarily set up to identify immigration law violations, but they also help intercept drugs, illegal weapons, and other criminal activities.
Last Friday, during an operation in Texas, 17 illegal immigrants were found inside a fake Lowe’s transport truck. The suspicious vehicle was intercepted by agents from the Texas Department of Public Safety, who, after a thorough inspection, uncovered a hidden compartment. Inside, 13 men and 4 women were crammed into a space of only 90 centimeters, suffering from dehydration and numbness after hours of confinement.
Lieutenant Chris Olivarez shared the discovery on social media, where footage captured by a police camera quickly went viral. The driver, Megel Cazanna Patterson, claimed to have no knowledge of the clandestine operation. He now faces human trafficking charges, an offense that severely endangered the lives of the passengers.
The 17 immigrants were handed over to U.S. Border Patrol authorities. This incident highlights the effectiveness of these checkpoints in detecting such operations, where officers carefully scrutinize every detail. In this case, it was the unusually new materials on the truck that initially raised suspicion among the agents.
Watch video : @TxDPS Finds 17 Illegal Immigrants Smuggled Inside False Compartment, Mississippi Driver Arrested
