Lord Buffalo Drummer Yamal Said, a Legal U.S. Resident, Detained by Border Officials

Austin band Lord Buffalo. The band reports that drummer Yamal Said (left), a legal resident of the U.S., has been detained by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol on the way to their upcoming European tour, and they have had no contact with him since. (Photo by Alison Narro)

Local heavy Americana band Lord Buffalo announced via Facebook and Instagram Wednesday that drummer and legal resident Yamal Said has been held after being detained by Customs and Border Protection as the band embarked on an international tour.

The psychedelic sludge-blues quartet had been preparing for an eight-date European tour in support of their latest album, Holus Bolus, with post-Krautrock noise outfit Orsak:Oslo. The tour was scheduled to begin on May 15, and so they were flying through Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on May 12. According to their post on Facebook and Instagram, this is when Said, who is a Mexican citizen with a green card, was "forcibly removed from our flight to Europe by Customs and Border [Protection]."

NBC News reported that they had had been told by CBP that “[Said] was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Monday while attempting to depart the United States due to having an active arrest warrant.” Austin NPR station KUT reported that Said was pulled off the plane due to an outstanding warrant in Llano County, and is currently detained at the Tarrant County Corrections Center.

Said has been an Austin resident since the 1980s, when his parents relocated the family here after an earthquake in Mexico City. Currently employed as Coverage Coordinator for the Middle School and High School teams at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, he has been a fixture of the Austin scene for two decades, formerly as a drummer for the Black and as part of Lord Buffalo for the past eight years.

Paul Carlson, assistant principal at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, called Said "a highly respected and long-serving member of our school community." He noted that he has been contacting elected officials to ask them to look into this case.

Lord Buffalo updated their initial post late Wednesday to say that Said had been able to retain legal counsel. They thanked the fans for their support, adding that "we have more questions than answers, but we will keep you posted as much as we can."

"We are devastated to cancel this tour, but we are focusing all of our energy and resources on Yamal’s safety and freedom," the band said. Orsak:Oslo will continue the tour.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to clarify to the legal situation, Said's role with Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and with comments from Assistant Principal Carlson.