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US Customs and Border Protection said border patrol agents have arrested 30 Indian nationals living illegally in the United States for operating semitrucks
using commercial driver’s licenses during recent enforcement operations in California. According to CBP, agents in the El Centro Sector arrested a total of 49 undocumented immigrants with commercial driver’s licenses during vehicle stops at immigration checkpoints and joint operations with other agencies. Between November 23 and December 12, agents apprehended 42 people driving semitrucks on interstate highways or passing through immigration checkpoints.
Of those arrested, 30 were Indian nationals. The remaining individuals were from El Salvador, China, Eritrea, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Russia, Somalia, Turkey and Ukraine.
CBP said 31 of the commercial driver’s licenses had been issued by California. Other licenses were issued by Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington.
The arrests also included people detained during Operation Highway Sentinel, a two-day joint enforcement operation conducted on December 10 and 11 in Ontario and Fontana, California. The operation was led by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Operation Highway Sentinel resulted in the arrest of 45 undocumented individuals with commercial driver’s licenses. On the first day, agents detained one Indian national and one Tajik national. On the second day, four Indian nationals and one Uzbek national were apprehended.
CBP said the operation targeted commercial trucking companies in California following several fatal highway accidents involving undocumented drivers operating semitrucks. The aim was to enforce immigration laws, improve road safety and ensure compliance with regulations in the commercial transportation sector.
"The success of this operation highlights the ongoing dangers posed by the unmitigated border crisis we experienced prior to 2025," El Centro Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Joseph Remenar said.
"The individuals arrested should never have been operating these semitrucks, and the states issuing them commercial driver’s licenses are directly responsible for the fatal accidents we have tragically witnessed recently. Together, with our allied partners in Homeland Security Investigations and other agencies, El Centro Sector will continue to ensure that the safety of the American public is at the forefront of our efforts," Remenar added.
US authorities have cited several recent cases involving Indian nationals driving commercial trucks while in the country illegally.
In one case, Rajinder Kumar, 32, was charged with criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment after a crash killed two people. In other incidents, ICE lodged arrest detainers against Indian nationals accused of causing fatal or serious highway accidents in Florida and California.
(With PTI inputs)
