DOT touts 'Operation SafeDRIVE,' pulling hundreds of illegal migrant truckers off US roads

The Department of Transportation reported Friday that it has pulled hundreds of illegal migrant truckers who failed to meet English proficiency standards from the road after another crash in Indiana caused four fatalities.

The Department of Homeland Security identified the driver of a semi-truck in the latest incident as Bekzhan Beishekeev, a Kyrgyzstani national, who allegedly failed to stop for another truck and instead entered oncoming traffic, colliding with a van. Beishekeev is currently in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The latest iteration of Operation SafeDRIVE (Distracted, Reckless, Impaired, Visibility Enforcement) ran from Jan. 13–15 on trucking corridors in 26 states and the District of Columbia, according to Fox News. 

The operation conducted more than 8,200 inspections that resulted in 704 drivers being taken off the road, including approximately 500 who failed English proficiency standards.

"Operation SafeDRIVE shows what happens when we work together with our law enforcement partners to pull unqualified drivers and vehicles off American roads," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox News. "We need a whole-of-government approach to ensure the Trump administration’s strong standards of safety are in place to protect American families and reduce road accidents."

The Indiana crash marked the latest in a string of incidents involving foreigners operating commercial vehicles involved in fatal crashes. An illegal Georgian national accidentally killed a national guardsman during a crash in November.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.