Lord Buffalo Drummer Yamal Said Detained By US Border Patrol Agents, Band Cancels Tour

Lord Buffalo, the psychedelic rock group from Austin, Texas, has revealed that their drummer, Yamal Said, was “forcibly removed” from a flight by United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) earlier this week. As a result, the band has canceled their European tour, which was set to begin this week on May 15th.

In a since-deleted Instagram post (via Austin Chronicle), Lord Buffalo claimed that Said was “forcibly removed from our flight to Europe by Customs and Border Patrol” at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on Monday, May 12th. The band added that their drummer has yet to be released by CBP, however, he has acquired “the legal representation he needs.”

“We are currently working with an immigration lawyer to find out more information and to attempt to secure his release,” they continued.

Later, the band posted an update expressing gratitude for continued support: “We have been asked by our drummer’s family and his legal team to respect their privacy while this situation evolves… We’ll  share updates from the family when we can.”

Said, a Mexican citizen and lawful US permanent resident, had previously shared in an interview with VoyageAustin that his family moved to the United States in the 1980s after a major earthquake. “My family was looking to make a change and the relatively flat lands of central Texas must have been appealing after what we had just experienced.”

The Austin band was set to tour Eourope with Swedish band Orsak:Oslo, who are still going ahead with the tour solo. “We’re devastated by the situation Lord Buffalo and their drummer Yamal have been forced into,” they wrote on Facebook. “No one should be pulled off a plane and jailed for simply trying to travel and make art with their band. We won’t pretend to understand the full complexity of the situation, but this should not happen anywhere.”

Lord Buffalo aren’t the only musicians facing difficulties in traveling internationally this year. Recently, Canadian trans musician Bells Larsen had to cancel his US tour because “US Immigration now only recognizes identification that corresponds with one’s assigned sex at birth.” FKA twigs faced setbacks for her “Eusexua Tour” after not completing visa paperwork on time, rescheduling several US tour dates multiple times.

In March, UK Subs revealed they were denied entry to the United States, with bassist Alvin Gibbs surmising that his negative statements surrounding the Trump administration might have contributed to his detainment: “I can’t help but wonder whether my frequent, and less than flattering, public comments regarding their president and his administration played a role — or perhaps I’m simply succumbing to paranoia,” he said.

Last year, Lord Buffalo released Holus Bolus via Blues Funeral Recordings.