Texas DPS, Border Patrol Nab Dozens of Illegal Alien ‘Gotaways’ in Dangerous Smuggling Attempts

Despite a sharp decline in border “gotaways” under the Trump administration, cartel-connected smugglers continue to push migrants into Texas under life‑threatening conditions. Officials say the arrests highlight the ongoing danger posed by human smugglers who show “complete disregard for public safety and human life.”

In recent days, Texas DPS troopers and Border Patrol agents intercepted multiple smuggling attempts, including 51 migrants locked inside a refrigerated trailer, 23 crammed into a truck cab in La Salle County, and others fleeing in a rollover crash in Zapata County. Border Patrol officials tell Breitbart Texas they estimate fewer than 50 illegal aliens per day successfully enter the U.S. without being encountered along the southwest border.

Cartel-connected human smugglers continue their reckless disregard for human life and continue to smuggle illegal aliens into the U.S. interior — often under life-threatening conditions. An example of this is an incident in South Texas last week, when Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents found 51 illegal aliens locked inside a dangerous compartment in a refrigerated trailer, Breitbart Texas’s Randy Clark reported.

Clark wrote:

During an inspection of the trailer carrying produce, Border Patrol agents found 51 illegal aliens hidden under boxes of produce in the 55-degree refrigerated compartment. Among the 51 illegal aliens were two juveniles. Border Patrol agents discovered the illegal aliens after spotting the silhouette of a person through a plywood compartment under the boxes, according to the United States Attorney’s office.

According to the Border Patrol, the smuggled aliens did not have jackets or means to stay warm and complained of numbed or cramped limbs due to the constraints of the small compartment they were found in. The compartment allowed only one person to exit at a time, further enhancing the danger to those inside, according to the complaint.

On November 28, Texas DPS troopers in La Salle County found 23 illegal alien gotaways packed into the sleeper cab of a truck allegedly being driven by 24-year-old John David Amaya. DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez posted a video on social media depicting the discovery and arrest of the driver and 23 illegal alien gotaways. LaSalle County is approximately 50 miles north of the Texas border with Mexico.

If convicted on the Texas human smuggling charges, Amaya could face a mandatory 10-year prison term. The 23 illegal immigrants from Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico were referred to Border Patrol, Olivarez reported.

In another life-threatening smuggling event, Olivarez reported the rollover crash of an SUV whose driver was fleeing police while allegedly transporting three illegal aliens in Zapata County. The driver lost control of the SUV on a curve, rolled the vehicle, and fled on foot. “This incident shows the complete disregard for public safety and human life as human smugglers continue risking lives for profit,” he stated. Police turned the three Mexican illegal alien gotaways over to Border Patrol for removal.

On November 22, Olivarez reported the successful apprehension of two more migrant gotaways as DPS K-9 Stark got his first bust. “K9 Stark is a Belgian Malinois and graduated on November 7, 2025. He is the newest addition to our DPS Tracking K9 team in South Texas,” the lieutenant stated.

Olivarez posted a video of K9 Stark tracking down a total of five illega alien gotaways, including two from Vietnam, in Zavala County.

“DPS remains committed to enhancing border security and working closely with our federal partners to protect and serve Texas,” Olivarez reminded human smugglers.