Dozens of drivers arrested in CDL crackdown targeting California trucking companies

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported that dozens of drivers were arrested for immigration violations during recent enforcement operations in California.

Operation Highway Sentinel Results

Officials say that on December 10 and 11, 2025, Border Patrol agents and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted “Operation Highway Sentinel” in Ontario and Fontana, California to “enforce immigration law violations, safeguard U.S. highways and uphold regulatory standards in the commercial transportation sector.”

Operation Highway Sentinel “specifically targeted commercial trucking companies in California” and resulted in the arrest of 45 commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders for immigration violations, CBP said.

CBP said that Operation Highway Sentinel was conducted in response to “several fatal accidents were caused by illegal aliens who had been issued commercial driver’s licenses and were operating semi trucks at the time of the accidents.”

Indio Station Border Patrol Agents Arrest Dozens Of CDL Holders

In addition to Operation Highway Sentinel, between November 23, 2025, and December 12, 2025, Border Patrol’s Indio Station agents arrested 42 CDL holders for immigration violations while traveling on interstate or traversing immigration checkpoints on Highways 86 and 111. 

“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,” CBP said.

“El Centro Sector personnel are stalwart defenders of our nation’s security, whether that occurs at the border or in the interior of the United States,” said El Centro Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Joseph Remenar. “Since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2026, El Centro Sector’s arrests of individuals in the interior have surpassed those at the border, directly illustrating what can be accomplished when a secure border is achieved.”

“The success of this operation highlights the ongoing dangers posed by the unmitigated border crisis we experienced prior to 2025,” said Remenar. “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.”