Hill County Deputies Recover 34,000 Stolen Avocados

HILL COUNTY, TX — What began as a routine traffic stop turned into an unexpected avocado heist recovery in Hill County on Thursday, December 12.

The Laredo Police Department notified the Hill County Sheriff's Office that an 18-wheeler potentially linked to a cargo theft was heading north on Interstate 35. The truck's license plate matched one from a theft report, and authorities quickly acted.

Deputies and a Texas DPS trooper spotted the truck on northbound I-35 and pulled it over. After investigating, they discovered that the stolen cargo contained more than 34,000 avocados.

"Holy Guacamole! That was some good police work by Deputy Hardy!" said the Hill County Sheriff's Office in a statement. The sheriff’s office believes this is the largest avocado theft recovery in the county's history — and the most memorable one in Deputy Ty Hardy’s career.

Once the stolen avocados were found, the Laredo Police Department was immediately notified. They instructed local deputies to release the driver but seize the cargo. The avocados were towed to a secure location and transferred into a refrigerated trailer.

"This was a bit out of the ordinary, but we're happy to have helped stop this theft and return the avocados to their rightful place," said the Hill County Sheriff's Office.