Overview
- Border Patrol agents in the Yuma Sector carried out Operation Checkmate between May 11 and May 15 and detained 52 people, 36 of whom were driving semi‑tractors and trailers.
- Officials say 30 of the 36 truck drivers were Indian nationals and that all 52 detainees have been processed under federal law and are expected to be deported.
- CBP reports many of the detained drivers held state commercial driver’s licenses from places including California, New York, Washington and Virginia while a few had no license at all.
- Authorities say most subjects carried Employment Authorization Documents that were issued under the prior administration but were no longer valid at the time of the arrests.
- The operation follows new Department of Transportation limits on foreign access to CDLs and high‑profile crashes involving Indian‑origin drivers, a combination that could prompt more state rules, industry checks, and faster removal proceedings.