DALLAS (CelebrityAccess) — The psychedelic rock band Lord Buffalo announced the cancellation of their European tour after reporting that drummer Yamal Said has been detained by agents of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
In a statement shared via social media, a spokesperson for the band said:
“We are heartbroken to announce we have to cancel our upcoming European tour. 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. He has not been released, and we have been unable to contact him. We are currently working with an immigration lawyer to find out more information and to attempt to secure his release. We are devastated to cancel this tour, but we are focusing all of our energy and resources on 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. In our absence, our touring partners Orsak:Oslo will continue to perform the tour. We urge everyone to go see this amazing band and support them over the next couple weeks.
The statement also thanked fans for their support, stating that Said has secured legal representation but noting that the band was still in the dark about the details.
“Thank you for your outpouring of support it means the world to us. 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. We have more questions than answers, but we will keep you posted as much as we can. At this time the family asks for privacy as they navigate the situation,” the statement said.
The tour, a co-headlining run with Orsak Oslo, was scheduled to get underway on May 15th at Nieuwe Noir in Heerlen, Netherlands.
A rep for the CBP told NBC News 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.”
