This week saw Lord Buffalo make headlines when their drummer Yamal Said was ‘forcibly detained’ by Customs and Border Protection from a plane set to depart from the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The band were aboard that flight to head over to Europe for a tour they were forced to cancel in light of said detainment.
In a statement initially issued by the band, the following was said of the matter:
“We are heartbroken to announce we have to cancel our upcoming European tour. Our drummer, who is a Mexican citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States (green card holder) was forcibly removed from our flight to Europe by Customs and Border Patrol at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Monday May 12.
He has not been released, and we have been unable to contact him. We are currently working with an immigration lawyer to find out more information and to attempt to secure his release. We are devastated to cancel this tour, but we are focusing all of our energy and resources on Yamal’s safety and freedom.
We are hopeful that this is a temporary setback and that it could be safe for us to reschedule this tour in the future. In our absence, our touring partners @orsakoslo will continue to perform the tour. We urge everyone to go see this amazing band and support them over the next couple weeks.”
The band would later provide the following update:
“UPDATE: Thank you for your outpouring of support it means the world to us. Our drummer has secured the legal representation he needs and we are waiting to hear what comes next. We want to reiterate that we truly don’t know what’s going on. We have more questions than answers, but we will keep you posted as much as we can. At this time the family asks for privacy as they navigate the situation.”
A since revised statement from the band was posted yesterday, with the above-mentioned posts having been removed:
“We appreciate the tremendous outpouring of support from y’all today. We still know very little about the situation, but we have been asked by our drummer’s family and his legal team to respect their privacy while this situation evolves. We intend to do so, and we send all our love their way. We’ll share updates from the family when we can. Thanks again for everyone’s support. -LB”
Now comes word that Austin, TX news outlet KUT are reporting that Said‘s detainment may stem from a criminal matter. The aforementioned publication are reporting that a CBP spokesperson confirmed yesterday, May 14th, that Said‘s detainment stems from an active arrest warrant. According to KUT‘s report, CBP have since handed Said over to local law enforcement. KUT reported yesterday:
‘Online jail records indicate Said is being held in a Tarrant County jail for allegedly violating a protective order, also known as a restraining order, at least twice in the past year. In Texas, this is a felony. A conviction could result in at least two years of jail time. The warrant for Said’s arrest was issued by the Llano County Sheriff’s Office.’
KUT state that they also reached out to the band over the matter, but were told the outfit had no comment. However, as noted by the band in their initial statements, they had no clarity or communication in regards to the nature of the detainment at the time of writing them.
