Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday announced the apprehension of 31 illegal immigrant truck drivers, mostly licensed out of California, along I-40 during a one-day, joint commercial vehicle enforcement (CVE) operation by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and federal law enforcement.
The operation on Nov. 11 focused on identifying individuals with suspicious commercial driver licenses during commercial vehicle inspections. DPS CVE troopers were joined by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for the one-day operation in Wheeler County.
During the 105 commercial vehicle inspections, troopers were unable to verify the lawful presence of 31 drivers despite being presented with CDLs. Those drivers were referred to ICE to have their lawful presence verified. It was determined that all 31 individuals were in the country illegally.
[Related: 30 truck drivers among 37 arrested in I-90 Border Patrol effort]
A majority of the CDLs presented to troopers by the 31 were issued out of California, and none were issued in Texas, a press release from Abbott’s office said.
"Millions of Texans drive on our highways, roads, and streets every day," Abbott said. "When illegal immigrants break the law and illegally drive on our roads, they endanger the lives of countless Texans and Americans. This joint state and federal operation along one of the nation’s longest transcontinental highways removed illegal drivers and unsafe vehicles from Texas roads.”
Immigration enforcement efforts in other states, including Oklahoma, Indiana and New York, have also targeted truck drivers in recent months.
[Related: Non-domiciled CDLs back in action after court blocks FMCSA rule?]
