The Yuma Sector Border Patrol announced the arrest of 11 Indian semi-truck drivers in Arizona in February. All of them are illegally present in the United States and have business licenses in Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana and California. Yuma Sector Chief Patrol Agent posted on social media, “Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents arrested 11 Indian semi-truck drivers in February, all of whom were found to be illegally in the United States. The drivers held commercial licenses in Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana and California. Border Patrol agents remain committed to upholding immigration laws and protecting our communities.” The Yuma Sector is a segment of the Border Patrol that covers parts of western Arizona and a small portion of eastern California. It includes the border area near the city of Yuma, Arizona, on the U.S.-Mexico border.
US cracks down on Indian truck drivers
Indian truck drivers have made headlines after a number of fatal accidents involving misuse of commercial driving licenses shocked the government. In August 2025, Harjinder Singh killed three people after making a wrong U-turn on a Florida highway. A few months later, Indian driver Jashanpreet Singh caused a multi-vehicle crash in California that killed three people. In February this year, Indian driver Rajinder Kumar killed a newlywed couple in Oregon; in Indiana, Sukhdeeop Singh killed a 64-year-old man after running a red light.These road traffic accidents are just one entry point into a larger problem that investigators have uncovered, as nearly all of these Indian truck drivers are in the United States illegally. But they had valid commercial licenses, and Donald Trump’s administration has accused “sanctuary” states of issuing illegal driver’s licenses. The U.S. Department of Transportation implemented an action last year in which more than 7,200 commercial truck drivers across the country were disqualified for failing mandatory English proficiency tests.