The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) unveiled a startling video on Tuesday. The footage captures the moment officers uncovered 20 undocumented immigrants hidden within the trailer and sleeper cab of a semi-truck, a discovery that the department has labeled a human smuggling operation.
The incident unfolded during a traffic stop of a white Volvo semi-truck in a rural area on May 18. The video shows officers signaling the vehicle to halt, after which the driver emerges from the cab and attempts a hasty escape. He is seen darting across train tracks but is swiftly apprehended by the authorities.
The driver, identified as 25-year-old Miguel Angel Velazquez Chavez, is a Mexican national. He faces charges of evading arrest and human smuggling.
The DPS footage reveals the hidden individuals crammed into the sleeper cab of the semi-truck, illustrating the cramped conditions in which they were found.
In a related report, a similar incident involved the discovery of 23 undocumented immigrants concealed within a truck cab during a tense traffic stop, as documented by police.
VIDEO SHOWS 23 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FOUND HIDDEN IN TRUCK CAB DURING TENSE TRAFFIC STOP: POLICE
In all, 20 illegal aliens were arrested, including four minors, according to DPS. They were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol.
President Donald Trump and his administration have made it a point to crack down on illegal border crossings, rolling back Biden-era policies like catch-and-release, where border crossers were not detained after crossing illegally into the country.
State troopers and the Texas Department of public safety pulled over a tractor trailer smuggling 20 illegal aliens into the U.S. on May 18, 2026. (Texas Department of Public Safety)
In April, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that there had been zero releases of illegal aliens at the border for 11 straight months.
BORDER ARRESTS HIT LOWEST MARK SINCE LAST TIME TRUMP WAS IN OFFICE, WHITE HOUSE SAYS
“Eleven straight months of ZERO releases at the border. Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, we are delivering the most secure border in American history,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said at the time. “The world knows America’s borders are closed to lawbreakers.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials also praised Trump for his work.
The Department of Homeland Security is currently undergoing a lapse in funding due to a partial government shutdown. (Getty Images)
“America First policies, real consequences, and a unified federal effort—backed by personnel, infrastructure, and technology—are how we’ve delivered the most secure border in U.S. history,” CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said. “Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, we’re building on what works, refining our approach, and locking in real border security. This isn’t temporary—it’s the new normal.”
The agency said illegal aliens have been significantly deterred from crossing the border illegally, and CBP has apprehended fewer than 9,000 people per month since Trump took office for the second time.
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