A multi-agency operation in Arizona's Yuma Sector led to the arrest of 95 illegal immigrant truck drivers earlier this month, all of whom held state-issued commercial driver's licences, according to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The operation highlights ongoing concerns about human and drug smuggling networks exploiting the trucking industry, even as overall border crossing numbers have fallen sharply, and comes as the US Department of Transportation prepares new rules restricting who can obtain such licences.

Of the 95 drivers, 76 held licences from California, six from New York, and the remainder from a handful of other states. The operation, conducted between 10 and 14 August, also disrupted two human-smuggling events, leading to the arrest of four smugglers and 17 trafficked migrants, alongside the seizure of 74lb of methamphetamine and 169lb of marijuana; in total, 143 suspects from 18 countries were arrested. CBP officials cited the case as evidence that smuggling remains active despite border encounters dropping from over 144,000 in December 2024 to roughly 33,000 in July, while the Department of Transportation, under Secretary Sean Duffy, is finalising a rule limiting commercial driver's licences to specific visa categories with stricter vetting requirements.