The Texas rock band Lord Buffalo has canceled their European tour after reports that their drummer was “forcibly removed” from a flight.
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Just before the band’s first tour show in Heerlen, Netherlands, which was scheduled for Thursday, they took to social media to announce the cancellation and share details about drummer Yamal Said’s situation.
“We are heartbroken to announce we have to cancel our upcoming European tour,” the group wrote on Facebook on May 14. “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.”
The band also explained they couldn’t contact Said as he hadn’t been released yet, but said they were working with an immigration lawyer to secure his release.
Lord Buffalo shared that they are “devastated” about the canceled concerts but emphasized that Said’s bandmates—Daniel Jesse Pruitt, Garrett Jeffrey Hellman, and Patrick John Patterson—are fully focused on supporting 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,” he band wrote, adding that tourmates Orsak:Oslo will still perform the scheduled shows.
The Department of Homeland Security Addresses Detaining Drummer Yamal Said
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security addressed the situation directly on May 14.
“Yamal Said is a Mexican national and lawful U.S. permanent resident,” the department wrote on X.
“Said had a warrant for his arrest after violating a restraining order at least TWICE. If you come to our country and break our laws, you will be arrested,” the department added. “When he was attempting to leave the U.S., he was apprehended by CBP and has been turned over to local law enforcement.”
Later that day, Lord Buffalo released a follow-up statement, expressing gratitude to their fans for the “overwhelming support” they received in response to the situation.
“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,” they posted on Instagram.
“We have more questions than answers, but we will keep you posted as much as we can,” the band added. “At this time, the family asks for privacy as they navigate the situation.”
Meanwhile, the band’s latest album, Holus Bolus, is available now.