LIVE OAK COUNTY, TEXAS — A Texas truck driver was arrested after nearly 2,000 pounds of methamphetamine were discovered hidden in a false floor compartment beneath his trailer during a traffic stop on US 281, with the drugs destined for Dallas.

Shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper initiated a traffic stop on a blue 2020 Kenworth truck tractor semi-trailer for a traffic violation on US 281 near George West as part of Operation Lone Star. During the stop, the trooper noticed indicators of possible criminal activity and called in a canine unit from the Live Oak County Sheriff's Office. The dog alerted to the trailer, prompting a search by the trooper and Special Agents with DPS's Criminal Investigations Division.

Officers discovered 479 black tape-wrapped bundles of methamphetamine concealed in a false floor compartment beneath the trailer. The bundles weighed a total of 1,980 pounds and carried an estimated street value of $3.4 million. Authorities said the shipment was en route to Dallas at the time of the stop.

The driver, Diego Mendez, 32, of Alton, Texas, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance over 400 grams, a first-degree felony. He was booked into the Live Oak County Jail. The investigation remains ongoing by the DPS Criminal Investigations Division.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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