LAREDO – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) today recovered 23 illegal immigrants concealed inside a flatbed trailer during an Operation Lone Star traffic stop in La Salle County.

On April 12, 2024, just after 9:00 A.M., the driver of a white-truck tractor towing a flatbed trailer on Interstate Highway 35 failed to stop for a DPS commercial vehicle safety inspection. After a short pursuit, the driver stopped one mile north of the La Salle County Rest Area and fled the vehicle on foot. DPS Troopers and law enforcement agency partners then discovered 23 illegal immigrants concealed in the floor of the vehicle’s flatbed trailer without proper ventilation.

According to the DPS South Texas Region, "The group of 23 illegal immigrants included 15 males, six females and two juveniles from Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala." One illegal immigrant was treated for dehydration and transported to a local hospital. All 23 were referred to U.S. Border Patrol.