The Trump administration announced on Monday an unprecedented interagency offensive against fraud in the trucking industry, with an emergency shutdown of 110 commercial driver's training schools, the creation of a multi-state federal task force, and simultaneous operations in 23 states.
The announcement was made jointly in a statement by Attorney General Todd Blanche, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and eight federal prosecutors from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
The new federal task force
The central focus of the operation is the creation of the Joint Task Force Crossroads of America, a permanent structure for criminal prosecution that unites the federal prosecutors of four states with the FBI, DEA, HSI, ICE, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
"The safety of American roads affects everyone in the country," stated Attorney General Blanche.
“Foreigners and illegal immigrants have exploited the transportation industry in the U.S., putting unqualified drivers, without proper training and who do not speak English, on our roads. Some may be transporting drugs or weapons for international criminal networks. The drivers and the companies that allow this dangerous activity will no longer go unpunished,” he added.
Closure of schools and national audits
The Department of Transportation ordered the emergency removal of 110 commercial driver's license (CDL) training schools from the federal registry, due to their association with over 5,000 drivers who failed the English proficiency tests.
"Today we are announcing the emergency executive closure of 110 driving schools. These schools account for 5,000 violations related to English proficiency," stated Duffy.
Furthermore, the USDOT proposed the removal of more than 160 additional schools and launched a nationwide audit of external CDL skills examiners.
The Department of Homeland Security simultaneously conducted an operation in over 200 schools across 23 states, serving inspection notifications to businesses, transporters, and employers.
Duffy was emphatic: “One must speak English to drive a commercial motor vehicle. This standard has been in place for decades, and we have schools that are aware of the rule, yet still allow individuals who do not speak English to complete their training and obtain their license.”
A campaign that has been ongoing for over a year
The offensive is the culmination of an escalation that began with the executive order regarding English for truck drivers, effective since June 25, 2025, which permits the immediate removal from service of any driver who does not pass a language test.
Since then, the USDOT has removed over 28,000 drivers from the roads, according to figures from Duffy himself.
In July 2026, DHS and DOT had already announced an investigation into 75 CDL schools suspected of fraud.
Weeks later, Operation Highway Shield in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio removed more than 800 drivers, arrested 51 undocumented immigrants, and recovered almost a million dollars in stolen cargo.
On August 6, ICE arrested in Florida the Cuban truck driver José Carlos Valdivia-Vera, who was operating with an expired CDL license and had a final deportation order.
The case that put a face to the campaign
At the event on Monday, Marcus Coleman and his daughter Dalilah were present. She suffered traumatic brain injuries and permanent disabilities following an accident in 2024 in California, where the truck driver was an undocumented Indian citizen.
Scott Brady, executive director of the White House Task Force on Fraud Elimination — established by Trump in March 2026 — pointed to the previous administration.
"The previous administration turned a blind eye to criminal companies that allowed drivers who could not pass a basic English test to obtain a commercial driver's license. That ends today," he said.
It is estimated that between 20,000 and 25,000 truck drivers of Cuban origin are active in the U.S., primarily in Florida, making it one of the communities most affected by new language requirements and ICE operations.
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