The United States Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, together with Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, announced on Aug. 4 the preliminary results from the second wave of Operation Highway Shield, a joint mission targeting unqualified foreign truck drivers nationwide.
During a three-day period from July 28 to July 30, inspectors from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and state highway patrols conducted roadside checks aimed at identifying illegal, unvetted drivers and unsafe vehicles.
According to officials, law enforcement officers detained 51 illegal immigrants during the operation. Among them were 21 drivers holding non-domiciled commercial driver licenses issued by California and New York. In addition to these detentions, authorities placed 766 unsafe drivers and vehicles out of service, arrested 86 operators for dangerous behavior such as road rage and domestic violence, issued 36 violations for failing English Language Proficiency tests, and recovered nearly $1 million in stolen cargo.
“When illegal aliens are behind the wheels of semi-trucks, they are putting American lives in danger,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “With the latest wave of Operation Highway Shield, DHS and our partners at the Department of Transportation have removed more than 800 dangerous truckers from our roadways, including more than 50 illegal aliens and more than 30 drivers who failed English Language Proficiency tests. I want to thank Secretary Duffy and our state and local partners for working with us to protect innocent lives from illegal aliens and other dangerous drivers on our highways.”
“Every life lost from an illegal trucker behind the wheel of a big rig is a completely preventable tragedy – and this administration will not stand for it,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “Our new partnership with DHS builds on President Trump’s progress to secure our roads, eliminate fraud, and restore the integrity of trucking in America. I want to thank Secretary Mullin for collaborating with us on this mission as we continue to crack down on unqualified and unvetted foreign drivers. If you continue to illegally operate a big rig, your days on America’s streets are numbered.”
This recent operation follows ongoing efforts by DHS along with federal, state, and local partners to address safety concerns within the trucking industry related to illegal aliens obtaining commercial driver licenses that permit them to drive semi-trucks. Last month, DHS and DOT announced a partnership focused on investigating fraudulent or unlawful practices within CDL schools.