A drummer from Texas was “forcibly removed” from a flight to Europe after authorities discovered an active arrest warrant, leading to the cancellation of the band’s international tour.
Lord Yamal, a drummer with Buffalo, was detained by Customs and Border Patrol officials at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on May 12, as noted by the band in a Facebook post.
Yamal, a green card holder allowed to reside in the U.S., has been wanted by the Lano County Sheriff’s Office for multiple violations of a Texas felony and homeland safety order concerning protection orders. This information was shared on social media.
The agency explained, “He had a warrant for his arrest due to violating the detention order at least twice. If you come to our country and break our laws, you will be arrested.” He was apprehended just before leaving the U.S. and subsequently handed over to local law enforcement.
In light of the arrest, the band announced the cancellation of their upcoming tours, although they did not mention the warrant in their statement.
Originally, they were scheduled to tour with the Dutch, German, Danish, Finnish, and Swedish rock band Orsak: Oslo throughout May.
“We are disappointed to cancel this tour, but our main focus is on Yamal’s safety and freedom. This setback is temporary, and we hope to reschedule the tour in the future,” the band stated.
Orsak: Oslo commented on the situation, saying, “You shouldn’t be jailed for traveling with your band and trying to create art.” They expressed devastation over Yamal’s forced removal from the flight.
Yamal, who joined Lord Buffalo in 2017 after previously playing drums for Band the Black, moved to the U.S. as a child following his family’s relocation from Mexico City after an earthquake. Currently, he works as a paraprofessional for visually impaired students at the Texas School for the Blind in Austin.
The vice principal of the school noted that he is “a very respected and long-time member of our school community.”
As for the band, they mentioned being cut off from contacting Yamal but were able to share updates through immigration lawyers. “We don’t know much about the situation yet, but the drummer’s family and legal team have asked us to respect their privacy as things develop,” they said in a recent update.
