17 illegal immigrants found hiding in Lowe’s truck attempting to cross border

The vehicle was stopped by Texas Department of Public Safety officers after it crossed the US-Mexico border into Kenney County, Texas. While the stop was initially due to expired tags, officers ultimately found the group of illegal migrants stashed in a secret compartment in the trailer.

Bodycam footage captured the moment when officers tore down a fake wall inside the truck, revealing the hidden compartment where the illegal immigrants were crammed. The driver, Megel Cazanna Patterson, was wearing a Lowe’s T-shirt and identified himself as the driver. Patterson had no explanation for anything relating to the truck and agreed to a search of the vehicle, leading officers to discover the fake wall that concealed the immigrants.

“Troopers reported several males & females were drenched in sweat suffering from dehydration and numbness in their legs as a result of being crammed in 3’ wide space,” explained DPS spokesperson Lt. Chris Olivarez. “Great work by our DPS Troopers in preventing a mass casualty smuggling event.”

Olivarez also stated that some of the individuals required medical attention.

Following their apprehension, the 17 migrants were handed over to Border Patrol. Patterson, the driver, was charged with smuggling persons with the likelihood of serious bodily injury or death, according to Olivarez.