Two undocumented truck drivers from India, Gurpreet Singh, 25, and Jasper Singh, 30, were arrested for allegedly transporting over 300 pounds of cocaine across the U.S. They both held commercial driver’s licenses issued in California, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had requested their detention following their arrest by Indiana State Police on Saturday.
This incident highlights the ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and California officials regarding illegal immigration, particularly in the trucking sector. There are accusations against Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, with officials blaming his policies for these criminals obtaining their licenses. Assistant Secretary of State Tricia McLaughlin remarked, “Thanks to Gavin Newsom’s reckless policies, these two criminal illegal aliens were granted commercial licenses by the state of California and arrested for trafficking a whopping 300 pounds of cocaine in a semi-truck.”
McLaughlin also criticized sanctuary policies, claiming they jeopardize American lives and prevent law enforcement from keeping drug traffickers from returning to the streets.
According to DHS, Jasveer Singh entered the U.S. illegally in March 2017. He was previously arrested for theft in December but was released back into the U.S. due to a request not being met. Gurpreet Singh, on the other hand, crossed the border in March 2023 and was later released by the Biden administration.
The drug bust happened during a routine traffic stop. Reports indicated that the two men were traveling from Joplin, Missouri, to Richmond, Indiana, with an estimated $7 million worth of cocaine concealed in the truck’s sleeper compartment. This quantity of drugs could potentially endanger more than 113,000 American lives.
This situation is part of a broader issue of employing illegal immigrants in the trucking industry. A string of serious incidents has been linked to undocumented drivers. For instance, Harjinder Singh, who illegally entered the U.S., was involved in a crash that killed three people in August after making an illegal U-turn. Similarly, Jashanpreet Singh faced charges for colliding with multiple vehicles in California, leading to three fatalities. Another man, Rajinder Kumar, was arrested in November for a deadly crash in Oregon and is sought by federal immigration officials.
The Department of Transportation has accused California of failing to comply with federal regulations regarding commercial driver licenses. In December, Secretary Sean Duffy warned that California could lose nearly $160 million in federal funds if it did not address this issue by a set deadline. He stated, “California has no ‘extension’ to continue breaking the law and putting Americans at risk on our streets.”
