Washington/California: US border enforcement agencies have detained 30 Indian nationals who were found living illegally in the country and operating heavy commercial trucks, according to a recent statement from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The arrests were part of a broader enforcement effort carried out by Border Patrol agents in California’s El Centro Sector. Between November 23 and December 12, officers stopped dozens of vehicles at immigration checkpoints and during coordinated operations, leading to the apprehension of 49 undocumented individuals who were in possession of commercial driver’s licenses and driving semitrucks.
CBP said that 42 of those individuals were intercepted while travelling on interstate highways or passing through immigration checkpoints. Of this group, the largest share — 30 people — were Indian nationals. The remaining detainees were from countries including El Salvador, China, Eritrea, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Russia, Somalia, Turkey and Ukraine.
According to the agency, many of the commercial licenses used by those arrested had been issued by US states. California accounted for the majority, with 31 licenses, while others were issued by states such as Florida, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington.
The enforcement activity was further intensified on December 10 and 11 through a joint initiative known as Operation Highway Sentinel. The two-day operation, led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), focused on commercial trucking companies in parts of Southern California, including Ontario and Fontana. During this operation, 45 undocumented individuals with commercial licenses were taken into custody.
Officials said the operation was launched in response to a series of serious road accidents involving undocumented truck drivers. Authorities have linked several recent fatal and high-risk crashes to individuals who were not legally authorised to live or work in the United States but were nevertheless operating large commercial vehicles.
Acting Chief Patrol Agent Joseph Remenar of the El Centro Sector said the arrests underscored public safety risks tied to gaps in immigration enforcement and licensing oversight. He added that interagency cooperation would continue to focus on preventing unsafe operators from using US highways.
In recent months, multiple cases involving Indian nationals driving commercial trucks have drawn attention from US law enforcement. Authorities have cited incidents in states such as California and Florida where crashes involving heavy vehicles resulted in deaths or severe injuries, prompting renewed scrutiny of how commercial licenses are issued and monitored.
CBP said the latest actions are part of an ongoing effort to enforce immigration laws, improve highway safety and ensure compliance within the commercial transportation industry.
