Daijiworld Media Network – Washington
Washington, Dec 24: US border patrol agents have arrested 30 Indian nationals found living illegally in the United States and operating semitrucks using commercial driver’s licences, according to a statement issued by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
CBP said Border Patrol agents in the El Centro Sector of California arrested a total of 49 illegal immigrants holding commercial driver’s licences during vehicle stops at immigration checkpoints and coordinated inter-agency operations. Between November 23 and December 12, agents apprehended 42 individuals illegally operating semitrucks on interstates or while passing through immigration checkpoints.
Among those arrested, 30 were Indian nationals, while two were from El Salvador. Others hailed from China, Eritrea, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Russia, Somalia, Turkey and Ukraine.
According to the agency, California issued 31 of the commercial driver’s licences seized during the operation. The remaining licences were issued by states including Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington.
CBP further said that on December 10 and 11, agents from the Indio Station participated in “Operation Highway Sentinel”, a two-day joint enforcement drive led by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Ontario and Fontana, California. The operation resulted in the arrest of 45 illegal immigrants possessing commercial driver’s licences.
On the first day of the operation, Indio personnel apprehended two individuals — one Indian national and one Tajik national. On the second day, four Indian nationals and one Uzbek national were arrested by Indio Station agents.
Operation Highway Sentinel specifically targeted commercial trucking companies across California. It was launched following a series of fatal road accidents involving illegal immigrants who had obtained commercial driver’s licences and were operating semitrucks at the time of the crashes.
“The purpose of this inter-agency operation was to enforce immigration law violations, safeguard US highways and uphold regulatory standards in the commercial transportation sector,” CBP said.
Commenting on the arrests, El Centro Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Joseph Remenar said, “The success of this operation highlights the ongoing dangers posed by the unmitigated border crisis we experienced prior to 2025.”
He added that the individuals arrested “should never have been operating these semitrucks”, and blamed states issuing commercial driver’s licences to illegal immigrants for recent fatal accidents. “Together with our partners in Homeland Security Investigations and other agencies, El Centro Sector will continue to ensure that the safety of the American public remains our top priority,” Remenar said.
In recent months, several Indians who entered the US illegally have been involved in serious and fatal trucking accidents. Rajinder Kumar (32) was charged with criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment after two people were killed when their vehicle collided with his semi-truck.
In August, ICE lodged an arrest detainer against Harjinder Singh after his arrest for three counts of vehicular homicide while driving a semi-truck in Florida. In the same month, ICE arrested Partap Singh following a multi-car pile-up in California that left a five-year-old child with life-altering injuries.
In October, ICE also issued an arrest detainer for Jashanpreet Singh, who allegedly killed three people in California while driving an 18-wheeler under the influence.