However, the authorities did not present evidence to prove that all of the operators identified represented a risk to road safety, despite the fact that officials used that adjective to describe the results of the operation. The majority of the reported actions correspond, in reality, to administrative violations, immobilization of vehicles and arrests for alleged immigration or traffic violations, according to official information.
The so-called Operation Highway Shield took place between July 28 and 30 with the participation of agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), dependents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE), inspectors from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and state patrol corporations. The goal, according to the government, was to identify “unqualified” foreign drivers and unsafe vehicles through roadside inspections.
According to the official balance sheet, during the three days of the operation, 51 immigrants without legal status were detained, including 21 drivers who carried non-domiciled commercial licenses (CDL) issued in California and New York.
Additionally, 766 drivers and vehicles were taken out of service for failing to comply with safety regulations, 86 operators were arrested for alleged criminal conduct, including incidents of road rage and domestic violence, 36 drivers failed mandatory English proficiency tests, and authorities recovered nearly $1 million in stolen merchandise.
When presenting the results, Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, linked the operation to the Trump administration's immigration policy.
"When illegal aliens are behind the wheel of tractor-trailers, they put American lives at risk. With this new phase of Operation Highway Shield, the Department of Homeland Security and our partners removed more than 800 dangerous drivers from the roads, including more than 50 illegal aliens and more than 30 drivers who failed English language proficiency tests," he stated.
For his part, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the administration will continue to tighten controls on foreign operators.
"Every life lost to an illegal driver behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer is a completely preventable tragedy, and this administration will not allow it. Our partnership with the Department of Homeland Security strengthens President Trump's efforts to secure the roads, eliminate fraud and restore the integrity of American freight transportation," he said.
Despite this, the official statement does not provide evidence that the 766 immobilized drivers and vehicles have been removed because they represent an imminent danger to other motorists. It also does not detail how many cases were related to serious mechanical failures, documentary breaches or minor infractions.
Likewise, the 86 arrests for alleged criminal behavior include investigations for events unrelated to the driving of heavy vehicles, such as complaints of domestic violence, so not all arrests are directly linked to road safety.
