U.S Border Patrol agents arrested at least 30 Indian truck drivers under “Operation Checkmate”, which deals with detection and arrest of commercial motor vehicle operators living illegally in the country. The U.S Customs and Border Protection released a statement on Monday, stating the Indians were part of 52 people agents from Arizona’s Yuma Sector arrested from May 11-15 and are all set to be deported.
Among the 52 arrested, 36 drove semi-trucks. 30 among them were Indians and three did not possess any driver’s license.
“Thirty of the individuals were from India, while the remaining six were from Mexico, El Salvador, and Russia,” said the statement “All individuals were processed in accordance with federal law and will be deported.”
The U.S Customs and Border Protection did not reveal the identity of those arrested under the operation.
Previously, Indian truck driver Harjinder Singh, aged 28, had killed three people in Florida in August 2025 after making a wrong U-turn, which made a minivan behind him crash.
Months later, a 21-year-old semi-truck driver named Jashanpreet Singh, who was living illegally in the United States, killed three people in California while driving under the influence.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Singh had entered the country through the Mexican border in 2022. He crashed a Freightliner tractor-trailer into an SUV and multiple other vehicles in October 2025.
The multiple incidents increased demands for stricter rules for non-citizens in the country to obtain commercial drivers licenses.
President Donald Trump announced the “Dalilah Law” to stop issuing commercial driver licenses to “illegal aliens”, referencing the case of five-year-old Dalilah from Bakersfield, who was injured after an accident caused by Pratap Singh, an illegal immigrant from India.
Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S Border Patrol’s Yuma Sector Dustin W Caudle said, “Operation Checkmate reflects our commitment to safeguarding communities and roads from unlawfully present drivers who pose significant risks to public safety.”
“My 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,” he added.
