Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) reports, US Border Patrol reports, news outlets

Texas DPS Intercepts Cloned Truck Smuggling 17 Migrants in Kinney County

Aug 31, 2024, 03:00 AM

Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Troopers have intercepted a human smuggling operation involving a cloned Lowe's work truck in Kinney County, Texas. The truck, which was masquerading as a legitimate Lowe's vehicle, was stopped on US-277. During the stop, troopers discovered 17 illegal immigrants crammed into a three-foot-wide hidden compartment. The driver, identified as Megel Cazanna Patterson from Mississippi, was arrested. The immigrants have been referred to the US Border Patrol for further processing. This incident marks the second time this month that smugglers have used cloned trucks for transporting illegal immigrants.