Fayette County, TX — What started as an unremarkable traffic stop along Interstate 10 turned into a chilling discovery that exposed a dangerously creative method of human smuggling.
On the afternoon of May 21, 2025, deputies in Fayette County pulled over a white Ford F-250 hauling a trailer stacked with large round hay bales near the town of Flatonia, roughly 70 miles east of Austin. The vehicle gave no immediate cause for alarm — until one officer noticed inconsistencies in the appearance of the hay.
Upon investigation, the deputies uncovered 12 undocumented migrants hidden inside hollowed-out hay bales, packed into custom-built metal compartments disguised beneath layers of straw. According to officials, the compartments were narrow, unventilated, and dangerously hot — a method both ingenious and inhumane.
“This level of concealment is not only deceptive — it’s deadly,” said Sheriff Keith Korenek, who confirmed the hay bales had been engineered with metal frameworks to house human cargo.
Arrests and Charges
The truck’s driver, Delbert Flanders, 44, of Kansas, was immediately arrested and later hospitalized for unspecified medical reasons. Two alleged accomplices — Adanaylo Lambert, 22, and Lency Delgado Fernandez, 25, both of Houston — were also taken into custody. All three now face state and federal human smuggling charges.
Authorities suspect the operation was coordinated and premeditated, with potential links to a larger trafficking network. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office has not yet released information about the broader scope of the operation or its origin.
The Hidden Cost
The 12 migrants, whose identities and nationalities remain undisclosed, were transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for processing. Officials say their immediate health and safety were the top priority after their extraction from the sweltering compartments.
This is the first time local law enforcement has discovered a human smuggling attempt inside hay bales — a tactic described as both alarming and unprecedented.
“Smugglers are evolving. They’re using new, more dangerous methods to move people under the radar,” Sheriff Korenek said. “And it’s the vulnerable who pay the price.”
As investigations continue, law enforcement agencies across Texas are being urged to remain vigilant for signs of similar covert trafficking techniques — before more lives are hidden behind seemingly harmless cargo.
