Suspected human smugglers were arrested this week while allegedly attempting to hide migrants inside modified hay bales, officials said.

Fayette County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies performing a standard traffic stop on a pickup truck towing a hay trailer near Flatonia, Texas, on Tuesday discovered that the hay bales had been hollowed out to form hidden compartments.

Upon closer inspection, deputies found individuals within these bales, situated in “dangerously confined spaces” beneath a metal framework and layers of hay.

The sheriff’s office stated in a release that “Such concealment methods are both deceptive and extremely perilous for human life. Smugglers continue to devise increasingly ingenious and risky strategies for transporting people along Texas highways.”

The migrants were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for processing. 

In a separate incident, two human smugglers were sentenced May 15 after a series of high-speed chases near the border. 

Twelve migrants were found hidden inside the hay bales.  (Fayette County Sheriff’s Office)

A judge sentenced Juan Miguel Regalado to 66 months in prison, while Samuel Grajeda Jr. was previously sentenced to 30 months. 

Both must also serve three years of supervised release.