49 Illegal Alien CDL Holders Nabbed at Border Checkpoints as Feds Warn State Over Massive Licensing Scandal
Border Patrol agents in Southern California arrested nearly 50 illegal aliens driving tractor-trailers with state-issued commercial driver’s licenses in just three weeks, revealing what federal authorities say is a growing public safety crisis linked to California’s rubber-stamped licensing system.
The arrests — made at El Centro sector traffic checkpoints and during a multi-agency truck sweep — come as the U.S. Department of Transportation threatens to withhold millions of dollars in highway funds unless the state curbs its improper issuance of business licenses to noncitizens. The drivers were observed driving tractor-trailers through Border Patrol El Centro Sector checkpoints on State Routes 86 and 111.
Between November 23 and December 12, officers assigned to the Indio, California station working at the two checkpoints arrested 42 illegal aliens with commercial driver’s licenses. In another simultaneous multi-agency operation, seven additional illegal aliens were found with valid commercial driver’s licenses in Ontario and Fontana, California by Indio Station agents.
According to the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), of those arrested, 30 were Indian citizens, two were from El Salvador and the rest were from China, Eritrea, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Russia, Somalia, Turkey and Ukraine. Of the 31 commercial driver’s license holders encountered at border checkpoints, 31 were issued by the state of California. The others were issued by Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington.
Acting Border Patrol Chief Joseph Remenar of the El Centro Sector commented on the results of the operation, saying, “El Centro Sector personnel are strong advocates for our nation’s security, whether it occurs at the border or within the United States. Since the start of fiscal year 2026, apprehensions of individuals in the Interior El Centro Sector have exceeded those at the border, directly illustrating what can be accomplished when a secure border is achieved.”
In a single two-day period, Dec. 10 and 11, Border Patrol agents from Indio were deployed to Ontario and Fontana, Calif., to participate in Operation Highway Sentinel, a large-scale enforcement operation led by the Homeland Security Investigations branch of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In addition to the seven illegal alien commercial driver’s license holders arrested by Border Patrol agents, 38 others were taken off California highways by the multi-agency law enforcement agents participating in the operation. Among the illegal foreigners arrested during the two-day operation were nationals of Tajikistan, India and Uzbekistan.
Operation Highway Sentinel targeted commercial over-the-road trucking companies operating throughout California. According to CBP, the operation was conceived and launched after several fatal crashes caused by illegal aliens who had obtained commercial driver’s licenses and were driving tractor-trailers at the time of the crashes.
This action follows efforts by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to crack down on the issuance of commercial driver’s licenses to unskilled immigrants. In March, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy signed an order announcing new guidelines to strengthen English language enforcement for commercial truck operators. According to USDOT, under the new guidelines, commercial vehicle drivers who do not meet long-standing English proficiency requirements under federal guidelines will be placed out of service.
As Breitbart Texas’ Bob Price reported, California tops the list of states accused of approving thousands of illegal commercial driver’s licenses as part of the illegal alien trucking scandal facing the country. A recent Department of Transportation audit found that 25 percent of the state’s non-domiciled commercial vehicle driver’s licenses were issued improperly. In some cases, the validity of the license exceeded that of the immigration documents, which were due to expire much earlier. USDOT Secretary Duffy has threatened to withdraw millions of dollars in highway funds from California unless the state remedies the situation.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as Division Chief of Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations of nine Border Patrol stations in the Del Rio Sector, Texas. Follow him on X @RandyClarkBBTX.
