Hundreds of fraudulent truck-driving schools and more than 800 dangerous truckers have been removed from the roads as part of ongoing federal efforts to remove unqualified foreign drivers from U.S. roads following multiple fatal crashes involving non-citizen truckers, according to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
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Earlier this month, dozens of illegal alien truck drivers were arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in a multi-agency operation conducted in Arizona’s Yuma Sector. All 95 drivers possessed state-issued commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), with 76 from California, six from New York, and the remainder from other states, CBP said in a press release.
The operation, conducted from August 10 to August 14, resulted in 143 total arrests from 18 countries, including four smugglers and 17 smuggled migrants. Agents also seized 74 pounds of methamphetamine, 169 pounds of marijuana, and a firearm.
“We are committed to protecting our citizens from all international threats, whether that is from unlicensed or untrained drivers, or transnational criminal organizations engaged in human or drug trafficking,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Dustin W. Caudle of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Yuma Sector.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin held a press conference in Detroit Monday to discuss the administration’s interagency crackdown on fraud in the trucking industry.
Duffy announced that 110 CDL truck driving schools across the nation were shut down Monday for violating longstanding laws regarding the issue of commercial drivers licenses to non-citizens. Another 160 fake schools have been shut down over other fraudulent practices, Duffy said.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has partnered with the Transportation Department to investigate and shut down the fraudulent schools.
“Too many Americans have died, suffered life altering injuries, or experienced the unimaginable trauma of losing family and friends because of fraudulent truck driving schools,” HSI posted on social media, Monday. “HSI remains steadfast in its commitment to identifying, investigating and dismantling CDL fraud with our Department of Transportation partners.”
Mullin told reporters that because of the failures of the Biden regime, non-citizen truckers have killed hundreds of Americans and injured thousands.
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Under Operation Highway Shield, Mullin said 800 dangerous truckers have been removed from the roads.
“Thank God President Trump was elected by the American people to restore law and order and safety back onto our American streets,” he said. “Who in the Biden administration thought it was a good idea to put people on the streets that couldn’t read our road signs?” Mullin asked. Driving 80,000 pound rigs without even having to take an English test or driving test is absurd.”
The DHS secretary blamed deep blue sanctuary states for allowing dangerous CDL practices to proliferate in their cities.
“By far, the worst abusers are in California under Gavin Newsom’s leadership,” he noted.
Mullin said HSI is also investigating Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) employees suspected of accepting payments from drug cartels to help illegal alien truckers bypass drivers license and CDL requirements.
The DHS secretary bristled when a reporter suggested that one percent of illegal immigrant truck drivers was too small a number to be concerned about.
“Every single illegal that maims or kills an individual is 100 percent preventable,” he said. “I don’t care if it a fraction of one percent,” Mullin continued. “Are you willing to take that one percent if it was your daughter?”
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