LAREDO – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) recovered 23 illegal immigrants hidden inside a truck tractor during an Operation Lone Star traffic stop in La Salle Co.
On Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, just after 5:00 p.m., a DPS Trooper conducted a traffic stop on a white Freightliner truck tractor for driving on an improved shoulder along IH-35. During the traffic stop, the Trooper learned that the driver, identified as John David Amaya, 24, from Laredo, was operating the vehicle without a commercial driver license (CDL). With assistance from a Border Patrol K-9, the Trooper ultimately discovered 23 illegal immigrants hidden inside the vehicle’s sleeping area.
Amaya was arrested and charged with 23 counts smuggling of persons – a state jail felony. The 23 illegal immigrants from Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico were referred to Border Patrol.
As a reminder, Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation in 2023 creating a mandatory 10-year minimum prison sentence for individuals convicted of smuggling of persons. If convicted, Amaya could face prison time.
Video from the traffic stop and arrest is available here.
###(DPS – South Texas Region)