230-plus immigrants arrested in crackdown targeting unauthorized CDL holders

Federal and state law enforcement agencies arrested more than 230 undocumented immigrants, including more than 40 commercial driver’s license holders, during a 72-hour enforcement operation spanning 15 states. The operation, dubbed Operation Guardian, was conducted Oct. 26-28 by U. S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and state and local law enforcement partners, according to the U. S. Department of Homeland Security. It targeted immigrants DHS described as holding unauthorized CDLs, along with other individuals the agency identified as public safety threats connected to the trucking industry.

Operation Guardian follows recent truck blitzes in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Kentucky and North Dakota. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced the results Monday during a news conference at Melton Truck Lines’ headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The operation involved authorities in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas. DHS did not provide a state-by-state breakdown of Operation Guardian arrests or identify which states accounted for the more than 40 CDL holders detained.

The announcement also did not specify which states issued the licenses, the number of commercial vehicles inspected or how many CDL holders were actively operating trucks when apprehended. Operation Guardian follows another federal immigration enforcement initiative targeting commercial vehicles. On Sept.

25, ICE launched Operation Guardrail, a nationwide effort targeting commercial vehicles operating in violation of U. S. laws. As of Oct. 29, ICE had arrested 303 people through Operation Guardrail, according to DHS. The agency also reported that between Jan. 20, 2025, and Oct.

28, 2026, ICE made 4,795 CDL-related arrests nationwide, including 1,233 arrests involving CDL holders. However, DHS did not explain whether the latest Operation Guardian arrests were included in its cumulative figures or whether any individuals arrested were charged with licensing fraud or other CDL-related offenses.

The agency also did not release information establishing how many of the detained CDL holders had obtained their licenses through fraudulent applications or were otherwise ineligible to hold them. Why it matters: The coordinated crackdown signals escalating federal and state scrutiny of commercial drivers’ immigration status and CDL eligibility.

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