Trucking News · Texas · November 9, 2026

Truckers: El Paso Driver Charged After Canceled Cable Haul

By Big Rig Daily Staff

Image caption: Illustration: AI-generated illustration, not a photo of the people, vehicles or places in this story. It shows a generic semi with a shipping container on a chassis at a desert yard.

El Paso County Sheriff's Office reporting describes a contracted truck driver charged with theft after a canceled New Mexico haul. According to KVIA's Nov. 8 account of the sheriff's office statement, deputies were called Nov. 6 to the 13100 block of Montana Avenue about a shipping container, a trailer chassis and about 43,000 pounds of fiber-optic cable.

The sheriff's office said the driver had been hired to move the shipment from Santa Teresa, New Mexico. After the shipment was canceled, the office said the driver reportedly refused to return the property because of a dispute over his final payment. The combined value was estimated at about $155,000. Those details are the sheriff's account. The driver's side of the payment dispute has not been reported in the cited coverage.

A charge, not a conviction

Detectives found the semi, chassis and container at a property along Montana Avenue, KVIA reported. The driver, identified as 38-year-old Laron Lenard Watts, was arrested and charged with theft of property valued at $150,000 to $300,000. Bond was set at $10,000. Detectives recovered the container, chassis and cable and seized the semi as part of the investigation, according to the sheriff's office.

A charge is an accusation. It is not a finding of guilt, and the account does not settle any civil question about the unpaid final payment.

Why the distinction matters for truckers

Many truckers know the pressure that follows a canceled load and a late final payment. The sheriff's office account shows how quickly a pay dispute over freight can turn into a criminal case once the property is not returned.

The property listed in the account is specific: a shipping container, a trailer chassis and about 43,000 pounds of fiber-optic cable, valued together at about $155,000. The case now moves through the court process, where the charge has not been proven.

FAQ

Did the coverage say the driver was convicted?

No. KVIA reports a charge and a bond amount. A conviction is a later court outcome that this account does not establish.

Is the payment dispute the driver's confirmed version?

No. The payment-dispute detail is attributed to the sheriff's office account. The driver's side was not reported in the cited story.

What steps should a trucker document when a contracted haul is canceled before delivery?

Sources: kvia.com.

Related reading: the cargo-theft identity guide explains how pickup verification can fail when identities are misused.

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