Tyson Foods jurors exposed to undercover recording mistake

CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE - Jurors got to eavesdrop on a profanity-laced part of the Tyson Foods immigrant smuggling probe with a transcript of a mistakenly recorded conversation in which federal agents joke about the case. <br> <br> After three days of testifying about the investigation of Tyson, a judge directed U.S. Border Patrol agent Benito Maldonado Tuesday to read a transcript of a discussion recorded after a delivery of illegal immigrants. <br> <br> The text of the profanity-laced discussion, part of it wrapped around a reference to ``lazy&#39;&#39; Americans, featured Maldonado and other agents joking among themselves about possibly keeping some payments for transporting illegal immigrants. <br> <br> Maldonado, seated in the witness stand, described the tape as ``locker room talk. It was joking around.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The agent also said he had never personally taken any money involved in his cases and would never do so. <br> <br> Tyson is on trial with 64-year-old retired manager Gerald Lankford of North Wilkesboro and two managers on administrative leave, 50-year-old Robert Hash of Greenwood, Arkansas, and 44-year-old Keith Snyder of Bella Vista, Arkansas. <br> <br> The government contends undercover agents delivered 136 illegal immigrants to Tyson plants in six states as part of a nationwide conspiracy that began in 1994 after company managers had trouble hiring production workers.