A three-day nationwide safety operation led to thousands of violations, hundreds of drivers placed out of service, and renewed scrutiny of licensing and enforcement standards.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Federal transportation officials removed hundreds of commercial truck drivers from U.S. highways during a sweeping, multi-state enforcement effort that uncovered widespread safety violations, including failures to meet English-language proficiency requirements.
The enforcement action, known as Operation SafeDRIVE—short for Distracted, Reckless, Impaired, Visibility Enforcement—was carried out from Jan. 13 through Jan. 15 across major trucking corridors in 26 states and the District of Columbia. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the operation involved more than 8,200 roadside inspections and resulted in nearly 2,000 drivers being deemed unqualified to continue operating.
As first reported by Fox News, 704 drivers were formally placed out of service during the crackdown. Roughly 500 of those cases involved truckers who failed to meet federal English-language proficiency standards required for commercial drivers. Inspectors also ordered 1,231 vehicles off the road for mechanical or safety deficiencies and arrested 56 individuals on charges ranging from driving under the influence to unlawful presence in the United States.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the operation underscored the impact of coordinated enforcement between federal and state authorities. He said the initiative focused on unsafe driving behavior and unqualified operators across all vehicle types, not solely commercial trucking.
Duffy said the results demonstrate the need for a “whole-of-government” approach to roadway safety, adding that removing unqualified drivers and unsafe vehicles is critical to protecting American families and reducing serious crashes.
FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs said the central objective of Operation SafeDRIVE was public safety, noting that drivers who operate without proper qualifications or while impaired pose a danger to everyone on the road. He said the operation highlighted the effectiveness of targeted enforcement and interagency partnerships.
The enforcement sweep followed several high-profile crashes involving commercial drivers in recent weeks. One incident cited by officials involved a Kyrgyz national who failed to slow for stopped traffic in Jay County, Indiana, crossed a median, and struck oncoming vehicles, resulting in a fatal collision. The driver had entered the United States in 2023 using the CBP One app and later obtained a commercial driver’s license from Pennsylvania, prompting renewed criticism of state and federal oversight practices.
Other cases referenced by federal and state officials included an Indian national stopped at a weigh station in Oklahoma who was found to be unlawfully present in the country and operating with a New York-issued commercial license that reportedly listed his name as “NO NAME.” Authorities later identified him as Anmol Anmol, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2023 and was transferred to federal custody under Oklahoma’s 287(g) cooperation agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Homeland Security officials said the case illustrates what they describe as systemic failures in some states’ licensing and cooperation practices. New York officials have disputed that characterization.
Pennsylvania officials have also pushed back against allegations tied to separate cases involving foreign nationals holding PennDOT-issued licenses. In a letter to state legislative leaders, PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll and Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said claims that illegal immigrants were issued licenses without verification were based on “misstatements and ill-informed speculation.” They said all non-citizens applying for licenses in the state must provide proof of identity and have their legal presence verified through the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements database.
Federal officials, however, continue to argue that gaps in enforcement and verification—combined with increased commercial driver shortages—have contributed to unsafe conditions on U.S. roads. Operation SafeDRIVE, they said, is part of a broader effort to tighten compliance and prevent deadly incidents linked to unqualified or improperly vetted drivers.
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