A Mississippi man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being caught smuggling 17 undocumented migrants in a fake delivery truck near the Texas-Mexico border.
Cezanne Megel Patterson, 29, of Jackson, Mississippi, was arrested on August 30, 2024, after a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) traffic stop near Del Rio, Texas. The truck he was driving was disguised as a Lowe’s delivery vehicle, but officials later confirmed it was a “cloned” truck—a counterfeit meant to avoid detection.
During the stop, DPS troopers discovered a hidden compartment inside the truck’s trailer—measuring about three feet wide—with no ventilation. Inside were 17 migrants, crammed into the space under extremely dangerous conditions.
Patterson was charged with smuggling of persons with the likelihood of serious bodily injury or death. On July 24, 2025, he was sentenced to a decade in prison.
Official Statements
“Patterson’s case is the perfect example of the dangerous lengths smugglers will go to when risking human lives for profit,” said DPS South Texas Region Chief Arturo Dela Garza. “Human smuggling is a serious crime, and I am proud of the collaborative work between our State Troopers and local prosecutors to hold smugglers accountable.”
63rd Judicial District Attorney Suzanne West also commended the efforts behind the case:
“We are thankful for the hard work of Trooper Sara Hernandez, lead prosecutor Amanda Poole, and Investigator Tom Wylie, whose efforts were crucial to securing this conviction.”
This case adds to the growing concern over human smuggling operations across the southern U.S. border, often involving deceptive and life-threatening tactics by traffickers.
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