New York, Dec 24 (PTI) US border patrol agents have arrested 30 Indian nationals, living illegally in America, operating semitrucks with commercial driver’s licenses.

Border Patrol agents in the El Centro Sector in California arrested 49 illegal immigrants with commercial driver’s licenses during vehicle stops at immigration checkpoints and in interagency operations, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement last week.

Between November 23 and December 12, agents apprehended 42 illegal individuals operating semitrucks with commercial driver’s licenses while travelling on interstate or traversing immigration checkpoints.

Of those arrested, 30 were from India, two were from El Salvador, and the remainder were from China, Eritrea, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Russia, Somalia, Turkey, and Ukraine.

California issued 31 of the commercial driver’s licenses; eight licenses were issued by Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, the agency said.

In addition, on December 10 and 11, Indio Station agents participated in Operation Highway Sentinel, a two-day, joint, large-scale enforcement operation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Ontario and Fontana, California.

Operation Highway Sentinel resulted in 45 arrests of illegal individuals with commercial driver’s licenses.

On the first day, Indio personnel apprehended two individuals—one Indian national and one Tajik national. On the second day, agents from the Indio Station apprehended four Indian nationals and one Uzbek national.

Operation Highway Sentinel specifically targeted commercial trucking companies in California. It was launched after several fatal accidents were caused by illegal individuals who had been issued commercial driver’s licenses and were operating semitrucks at the time of the accidents.

The purpose of this interagency operation was to enforce immigration law violations, safeguard US highways and uphold regulatory standards in the commercial transportation sector, CBP said.

“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.” There have been several instances in recent months where Indians, who entered the US illegally, have been involved in dangerous and fatal highway crashes while driving trucks.

Rajinder Kumar, 32, was charged with criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment after William Micah Carter, 25 and Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24, were killed when their vehicle crashed into his semi-truck.

In August, Immigration and Customs Enforcement had lodged an arrest detainer for Harjinder Singh following his arrest for three counts of vehicular homicide while driving a semi-truck in Florida. The same month, ICE arrested Partap Singh, who caused a multi-car pileup while driving a commercial 18-wheeler in California. The accident left 5-year-old Dalilah Coleman with critical, life-altering injuries.

In October, ICE lodged an arrest detainer for Jashanpreet Singh, who killed three people in California while driving an 18-wheeler under the influence. PTI YAS AMS

Border arrests of unauthorized drivers operating semitrucks with state commercial licenses amid safety-driven enforcement actions. Border Patrol agents in the El Centro Sector detained numerous noncitizens operating semitrucks with state-issued commercial driver's licenses, including 30 Indian nationals among 49 arrests during late-November to mid-December enforcement. A subsequent two-day interagency operation, Operation Highway Sentinel, targeted trucking companies and resulted in further arrests of unauthorized drivers; authorities stated the initiative aimed to enforce immigration law violations and remove unauthorized commercial drivers in response to recent fatal highway crashes involving drivers lacking authorized status.