New York: About 30 Indian nationals found to be living in the United States illegally and working as commercial truck drivers have been arrested and will soon be deported, US authorities said on Monday, PTI reported.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement that during the week of May 11-15, Border Patrol agents from the Yuma Sector in Arizona executed “Operation Checkmate,” detaining 52 people for being in the US unlawfully. Of those taken into custody, 36 were found driving semi-trucks; 30 were Indian nationals, while the others hailed from Mexico, El Salvador and Russia.
CBP said the drivers held commercial learner or driver’s licences from states such as California, New York, Washington and Virginia, although some lacked any licence. The agency added that most carried employment authorisation documents issued during the Biden administration that are no longer valid. All individuals were processed under federal law and face deportation.
“Operation Checkmate reflects our commitment to safeguarding communities and roads from unlawfully present drivers who pose significant risks to public safety,” Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the US Border Patrol’s Yuma Sector Dustin Caudle said. “Federal agents are on patrol every day to ensure we stop these individuals and prevent more deadly crashes from occurring on the road across the United States.”
CBP said the operation is intended to strengthen public safety by enforcing immigration laws and identifying unlawfully present persons operating commercial motor vehicles. It also noted that the Department of Transportation under President Donald Trump issued an order barring unqualified foreign drivers from obtaining commercial truck and bus licences.
The report added that there have been recent cases in which drivers of Indian origin were arr
