CBP Sting in New York Hands 30 CDL Holders to ICE
Drivers With CDLs from 9 States Lacked Legal US Status
Key Takeaways:
- U.S. Border Patrol and ICE agents arrested 30 undocumented truck drivers with state-issued CDLs during a Nov. 8-11 enforcement sweep along Interstate 90 in western New York.
- CBP said the operation targeted migrants lacking permanent legal status amid rising safety concerns tied to English-language proficiency and commercial vehicle operation.
- Officials said several additional undocumented migrants were turned over to ICE as similar joint enforcement efforts continue in other states.
[Stay on top of transportation news: .]
U.S. Border Patrol and immigration enforcement agents targeting truckers near the New York border arrested 30 drivers accused of being in the country illegally who held commercial driver licenses from nine states.
“As we continue to see an alarming trend of illegal aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States operating commercial vehicles, it raises significant safety concerns,” James D’Amato, acting Buffalo sector chief patrol agent, .
The Nov. 8-11 dragnet, called Operation Bear Cave, focused on intercepting immigrants holding state-issued CDLs but who lacked permanent legal status driving commercial vehicles on the Interstate 90 section of the New York Thruway in western New York.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson from the New York region told Transport Topics those arrested were from Colombia, Croatia, Ecuador, Georgia, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritania, Pakistan, Russia, Turkey and Uzbekistan.
“Drivers who are not fluent or with little to no ability to speak or read English pose a serious risk on our roadways, especially when operating large vehicles that require a high level of skill and understanding of traffic laws,” D’Amato said. “The ongoing major accidents nationwide involving such drivers highlight the critical need for enforcement and vigilance to protect public safety.”
RELATED:Duffy Vows to Fight Court’s Pause on Non-Domiciled CDLs
The effort was led by CBP agents from the Buffalo Sector with assistance from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s ϳԹland Security Investigations unit. Federal agents staged pop-up checkpoints at 10 locations along the western part of the Thruway during the four-day sting.
Agents arrested 30 undocumented migrants holding valid CDLs issued by California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon and Pennsylvania. Another seven undocumented migrants were processed and turned over to ICE for deportation proceedings. These individuals were not driving commercial vehicles.
RELATED:Why an Appeals Court Paused FMCSA’s Non-Domiciled CDL Order
The CBP’s Buffalo Sector is charged with securing the border between ports of entry in New York and Pennsylvania. It is responsible for 29 counties: all of western New York, parts of central and northern New York and some of Pennsylvania.
This CBP-ICE operation followed similar ICE operations. The agency has been partnering with state highway patrol departments to arrest and remove truckers found to be in the country without proper documentation and found to be in violation of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations. A recent area of renewed focus is compliance with English-language proficiency laws, which includes the ability to communicate with roadside inspectors and read highway road signs.
Similar joint dragnets between ICE and state police agencies have been conducted in Indiana and Oklahoma.
Want more news? Listen to today's daily briefing belowor go here for more info:
