Two illegal alien truck drivers who obtained commercial driver's licenses from California are accused of smuggling $7 million worth of cocaine across the Midwest.
'Sanctuary policies put American lives at risk.'
Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Sunday lodged detainers against 25-year-old Gurpreet Singh and 30-year-old Jasveer Singh after local authorities arrested the two Indian nationals in Putnam County, Indiana.
The men were driving a semitruck along I-70 when an Indiana State Police trooper pulled them over for a routine traffic stop on Saturday, according to local reports.
The trooper's K-9 unit gave a positive alert, prompting the officer to conduct a more thorough search of the truck. The trooper allegedly discovered 309 pounds of cocaine hidden in the truck's sleeper berth.
The men were reportedly traveling from Joplin, Missouri, to Richmond, Indiana.
They were charged with a Level 2 felony of dealing narcotics.
The Department of Homeland Security reported that the men were allegedly smuggling enough drugs to kill over 113,000 Americans.
Gurpreet Singh illegally entered the U.S. in March 2023 and was released into the country by the Biden administration. The DHS reported that he admitted to law enforcement that he was illegally in the U.S.
Jasveer Singh illegally entered the country in March 2017. He was arrested in San Bernardino, California, in December for allegedly receiving stolen property. ICE placed a detainer against him, but California did not honor it, and he was released from local custody.
RELATED: Border Patrol nabs 49 illegal aliens with commercial driver’s licenses
The DHS blamed California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom's policies for allowing the illegal aliens to obtain CDLs amid growing concerns about the surge of unqualified foreign nationals in the American trucking industry. Newsom's office has repeatedly rebutted these criticisms by claiming that California's CDLs for foreign nationals are issued in compliance with federal guidelines, based on work authorization documents provided by the U.S. government.
"Thanks to Gavin Newsom's reckless policies, these two criminal illegal aliens were granted commercial driver's licenses by the state of California and were arrested for trafficking a whopping 300 pounds of cocaine inside a semi-truck," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated. "Gavin Newsom and his fellow sanctuary politicians even refused to honor an arrest detainer on one of these criminal illegal aliens in December. Sanctuary policies put American lives at risk. ICE law enforcement lodged arrest detainers to ensure these drug traffickers are not allowed back into American communities."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested murderers, rapists, and other violent offenders over the first weekend of the new year, according to a press release exclusively obtained by Blaze News.
The Department of Homeland Security recently announced “a historic 120% increase in manpower,” stating that it has added over 12,000 new ICE officers and agents following a successful recruitment campaign that received over 220,000 applications.
“With these new patriots on the team, we will be able to accomplish what many say was impossible and fulfill President Trump’s promise to make America safe again,” the DHS stated.
A DHS press release highlighted 15 “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens arrested by ICE over the first weekend of the new year.
'Over the weekend, ICE arrested murderers, stalkers, rapists, and gang members.'
Jose Cano-Cruz, a Mexican national, was previously convicted of homicide and aggravated stalking in Muscogee County, Georgia.
RELATED: Leftist radicals doxx ICE agents with ‘WANTED’ flyers in Pennsylvania
Waheed Allah Mohammad, an Afghan national, was convicted of attempted murder and first-degree assault in Monroe County, New York. A 2009 NPR report stated that the then 22-year-old admitted to stabbing his 19-year-old sister, whom he reportedly described as a “bad Muslim girl” for trying to leave her family to start a new life in New York City.
ICE agents nabbed Carlos Danilo Barrera, a known Florencia 13 gang member from El Salvador. He was previously convicted of second-degree murder in Los Angeles, California.
Federal immigration officials detained Ruben Pulido-Cortes. The Mexican national was convicted of rape in Queens, New York.
Leonel Rodriguez-Garcia, from Mexico, was also picked up by ICE agents over the weekend. He was convicted of kidnapping in Kern County, California.
Uriel Segovia-Leon, a Mexican national, was convicted of battery resulting in serious bodily injury in Lake County, Indiana.
Federal agents arrested Duane Alando Spence from Jamaica. His criminal history includes a conviction for aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm in Miami, Florida.
Patricio Hernandez-Gomez, a Mexican national, was convicted of first-degree unlawful imprisonment in Perry County, Kentucky. He was sentenced to five years in prison.
ICE arrested Mexican national Yessenia Monserrat Monje-Orozco. Her criminal history includes convictions for possession of prohibited ammo and a controlled substance, as well as vehicle theft in San Luis Obispo, California.
Thinh Troung Nguyen, a Vietnamese national, was previously convicted of armed robbery in Lexington, Oklahoma.
Federal agents arrested Esteban Reyes-Cortes, an illegal alien criminal from Mexico. He was convicted in Tallahassee, Florida, for battery and disorderly conduct and in Decatur, Georgia, for entering an automobile with intent to commit theft.
Jose Antonio Poblete-Velasquez, from Chile, was convicted of burglary in Ventura, California. According to the Irvine Police Department, officers observed Poblete-Velasquez and an accomplice distract an elderly shopper at a grocery store to steal her wallet and phone. Police were surveilling the Chilean national following reports of a separate incident where credit cards from a stolen wallet were used to make several fraudulent purchases.
Immigration agents captured Luis Alberto Medel-Miranda, a Mexican national who was previously convicted for driving while impaired in Rockingham County, North Carolina.
Kevin Ruiz-Gonzalez, an illegal alien from Honduras, was convicted of criminal possession of a weapon in Bronx, New York.
ICE also nabbed Harvy Gomez-Alaniz, from Nicaragua. He was previously convicted of evading arrest or detention in San Antonio, Texas.
“The first year of the Trump administration marked record-breaking progress in removing criminal illegal aliens, and DHS will be doubling down on those accomplishments in 2026 with our more than 12,000 new officers and agents,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated. “Over the weekend, ICE arrested murderers, stalkers, rapists, and gang members."
President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem "unleashed ICE to get criminal illegal aliens off our streets and out of our country," McLaughlin added.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Over the past 11 months, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies have worked to put away numerous murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members, drug traffickers, and terrorists.
The Department of Homeland Security listed over a dozen of the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens who were arrested by federal law enforcement agents in 2025 in a press release exclusively obtained by Blaze News.
The department stated that 70% of ICE’s arrests were illegal aliens who were either convicted of or charged with a crime in the United States.
'Americans can be proud of DHS law enforcement who worked around the clock this year to remove the worst of the worst from American neighborhoods.'
The DHS year-end roundup highlighted ICE New Orleans’ arrest of Olvin Rodriguez-Inestroza, a Honduran national with active warrants for 394 counts of pornography involving juveniles and two counts of sexual abuse of an animal.
In July, the then-22-year-old pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography after investigators found hundreds of disturbing photos and videos on his phone, including some involving toddlers.
Federal agents also arrested Diego Barron-Esquivel, a Mexican national who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for violently assaulting and strangling an ICE officer in February in Wichita, Kansas. Barron-Esquivel was accused of consistently harassing his former spouse, and he was previously arrested on multiple counts of domestic battery, protection order violations, aggravated robbery, felony theft, and other offenses.
Jaan Shah Safi, an Afghan national, entered the country under former President Joe Biden’s “Operation Allies Welcome” in 2021. He was previously arrested for allegedly providing support to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Khorasan, also referred to as ISIS-K. According to the DHS, Safi provided weapons to his father, who is a commander of an Afghan militia group. The DHS announced in early December that ICE agents arrested Safi in Waynesboro, Virginia, after his Temporary Protected Status application was terminated.
ICE captured Gerson Emir Cuadra Soto, an MS-13 gang member from Honduras who is believed to have illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 after he allegedly bribed his way out of jail in his home country. He is wanted in Honduras for a quadruple homicide and is an alleged member of an assassination squad. Federal immigration agents caught up to Cuadra Soto in Grand Island, Nebraska, on December 8.
Jose Alfredo Uzeta, a Mexican national, was accused of performing dental procedures without a license. He was convicted of dentistry act violation and indecent assault in Harris County, Texas.
Rafael Alberto Cadena-Sosa, from Mexico, was accused of running a sex trafficking operation in Miami, Florida, with his family. ICE Los Angeles arrested Cadena-Sosa in San Pedro, California, in December. According to the Department of Justice, he and his family approached females, some as young as 14, in Mexico to lure them into the U.S. under false promises of work opportunities. Once in the U.S., they allegedly imposed a smuggling debt and used threats and violence to force the females into engaging in prostitution 12 hours a day, six days a week.
ICE agents also rounded up Antonio Israel Lazo-Quintanilla, from El Salvador, who is a confirmed gang member of the 18th Street Gang, which is designated a foreign terrorist organization. He is wanted in his home country for aggravated homicide, extortion, drug possession, and other felonies. Federal agents nabbed Lazo-Quintanilla in March.
Walter Leonel Perez Rodriguez, from El Salvador, was convicted of sexual assault of a child under 17 years old. His criminal history also includes multiple DUIs, child fondling, and illegal re-entering of the U.S. During his November arrest, the convicted pedophile allegedly assaulted an ICE officer with a metal coffee cup, resulting in a laceration that required 13 stitches.
ICE agents arrested Thao Van Cao, a Vietnamese national who is a member of the Asian Cheap Boy criminal gang. His lengthy rap sheet includes 25 convictions for crimes such as flight to avoid prosecution, possession of a controlled substance, second-degree robbery, cruelty toward the elderly, arson, and theft.
Aldrin Guerrero-Munoz was picked up by federal immigration agents in October. The criminal illegal alien was previously sentenced to 32 years in prison for the intentional murder of his 3-month-old son.
ICE apprehended Jung Choi, a 53-year-old from South Korea. She was sentenced to 11 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter after she and her male companion were accused of murdering his wife.
Jonatan Monzon-Olivares, a Guatemalan national, was taken off the street in August. He had been arrested 38 times with 15 convictions for crimes including sexual assault, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, possession of stolen property, and obstructing justice.
Federal agents nabbed Alejandro Lima-Ramirez, who was previously arrested two dozen times in California and Oregon. He has 16 convictions, including for drug trafficking, robbery, fraud, and carrying a concealed weapon.
In August, ICE agents apprehended Michael Kabiona, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison after he was found guilty in 2015 of repeatedly raping his stepdaughter, starting when she was 9 years old.
Pedro Luis Ortiz-Mendez and Jose Vicente Ortiz-Mendez, brothers from Mexico, were also arrested by federal immigration agents in August. The two men are wanted in their home country for multiple murders.
Lastly, the DHS highlighted this year’s arrest of Yehia Elham Badawi, an Egyptian national with a lengthy criminal record, including robbery, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment, among other violent felonies. His convictions stem from a 1994 shoot-out that seriously injured a Philadelphia police officer.
“Americans can be proud of DHS law enforcement who worked around the clock this year to remove the worst of the worst from American neighborhoods. Our law enforcement has put their lives on the line to arrest murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and terrorists,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
McLaughlin stated that under the leadership of President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, "criminals are not welcome in the U.S. If you come to our country and break our laws, we will find you, arrest you, and deport you.”
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
The Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security is changing regulations governing work visas, arguing the changes will protect American workers.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that the DHS had implemented a new rule to change the H-1B recipient selection process, ending the current random lottery system in favor of prioritizing those with higher skills.
'As part of the Trump administration’s commitment to H-1B reform, we will continue to demand more from both employers and aliens so as not to undercut American workers and to put America first.'
The agency contended that the new policy would “better protect the wages, working conditions, and job opportunities for American workers.”
USCIS noted that the current random selection process has been criticized for “allowing unscrupulous employers to exploit it by flooding the selection pool with lower-skilled foreign workers paid at low wages, to the detriment of the American workforce.”
The not-yet-published final rule states that the new weighted selection process will favor higher-skilled, higher-paid foreign nationals while continuing to allow employers to obtain H-1Bs across all wage levels.
The rule will take effect on February 27 and apply to the H-1B registration season for fiscal year 2027.
“The existing random selection process of H-1B registrations was exploited and abused by U.S. employers who were primarily seeking to import foreign workers at lower wages than they would pay American workers,” USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser stated.
“The new weighted selection will better serve Congress’ intent for the H-1B program and strengthen America’s competitiveness by incentivizing American employers to petition for higher-paid, higher-skilled foreign workers. With these regulatory changes and others in the future, we will continue to update the H-1B program to help American businesses without allowing the abuse that was harming American workers.”
In September, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation requiring employers to pay an additional $100,000 per H-1B visa.
“As part of the Trump administration’s commitment to H-1B reform, we will continue to demand more from both employers and aliens so as not to undercut American workers and to put America first,” Tragesser added.
RELATED: Trump admin announces major H-1B visa abuse investigation, but critics want more
Up to 65,000 new H-1B visas can be issued each year, with an additional 20,000 for individuals with a master’s degree or higher. Recipients are generally admitted for up to three years, with the option to extend for up to another three years. Some recipients may be eligible for more than six years. Certain organizations, such as some universities and nonprofits, are exempt from the annual cap.
FWD.us estimated that there are as many as 730,000 H-1B holders in the U.S., along with 550,000 of their dependents, including spouses and children. The estimated total number of H-1B holders and their dependents exceeds the population of eight states, including Montana and Rhode Island.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
The weekend leading into Christmas, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested more violent criminal illegal aliens, according to a press release exclusively obtained by Blaze News.
The Department of Homeland Security highlighted 15 illegal aliens with criminal histories who were recently captured across the country by federal immigration officials.
'All year long, our law enforcement officers worked around-the-clock, including weekends and holidays, to arrest the worst of the worst.'
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to deliver on its promise this Christmas season to make America safe again and remove the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from our communities,” the press release read.
“While many Americans began wrapping presents and preparing for the joyous holy holiday, ICE was hard at work arresting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens convicted of horrific crimes including lewd and lascivious acts with [a] child, child neglect, obscene communication, and attempted murder," it added.
First on the DHS worst of the worst list is Juan Jesus Acosta-Gutierrez, a Mexican national and Surenos-13 gang member. He was previously convicted for lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 by force or fear in San Bernardino, California.
Federal agents captured Udit Mehra, an Indian national who has a criminal history in Seminole, Florida, for cruelty toward children and obscene communication.
That Xiong, from Laos, was also picked up by ICE agents. He was previously convicted of attempted murder and discharging a firearm at an occupied vehicle in Sacramento, California.
Juan Carlos Marrufo-Flores, an illegal alien from Mexico, was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child in Atascosa County, Texas.
ICE arrested criminal illegal alien David Cerna-Calderon of Mexico. He has a rap sheet in Bexar County, Texas, for assault causing bodily injury to a family member.
Yesenia Martinez-Gonzalez, a Mexican national, was detained by federal immigration officials. She was previously convicted in Texas for child neglect, resisting arrest, and driving while intoxicated.
Jose Dante Ortiz-Alvalardo of Mexico has a criminal history in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, for a second-degree forced sexual offense.
ICE agents also nabbed Edwin Ismael-Hernandez, a Mexican national. He was previously convicted in Los Angeles, California, for several crimes. His rap sheet includes evading a peace officer/disregarding safety, hit-and-run, willful harm of a peace officer's horse or dog, and vehicle theft.
David Abraham Hernandez-Velez of Mexico was convicted of assault of a public servant in Brazoria County, Texas.
Federal immigration agents arrested Jerson Poveda-Delgado, a Colombian national with a criminal history in Indianapolis, Indiana, that includes battery against a public safety official.
Daniel Emony, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was convicted in Alexandria, Virginia, of making false statements, aggravated identity theft, and perjury.
ICE also nabbed Carlos Martinez-Melendez, a Mexican national who was convicted of robbery in Austin, Texas.
Federal agents arrested Justo Perez-Escobar, a Mexican national with a conviction in Gloucester Township, New Jersey, for unlawful possession of a handgun.
Isaias Alvarado-Arellano of Mexico was previously convicted for conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine in Oregon.
The DHS press release also highlighted the arrest of Rudy Gonzalez, a Cuban national who was convicted of racketeering/conspiracy in Miami, Florida.
“While many Americans began celebrating Christmas with their families and loved ones this weekend, ICE arrested gang members, child pedophiles, abusers, and an attempted murderer. All year long, our law enforcement officers worked around-the-clock, including weekends and holidays, to arrest the worst of the worst. We are thankful for our law enforcement who delivered the best Christmas gift for American families this holiday season: safer communities,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
The Department of Homeland Security is running an end-of-year Christmas special to further incentivize illegal aliens to self-deport.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the department will be tripling the cash incentives from $1,000 to $3,000, urging illegal aliens to leave the country on their own. Illegal aliens who choose to self-deport through the CBP Home App will receive this bonus through the end of the year and may be eligible to re-enter the country legally in the future.
'We'll buy your ticket.'
"Well, it's home for the holidays season," Noem said on "Fox & Friends" Monday.
"Not only are we returning those kiddos back to their families that Biden lost, we also are saying that if you voluntarily want to go home now to your country, if you're in this United States of America illegally, we will give you $3,000 through the holidays to send you home," Noem added.
Since President Donald Trump took office in January, an estimated 1.9 million migrants have self-deported and another 622,000 have been removed by law enforcement. Noem is looking to boost those numbers, noting that illegal aliens who self-deport may have a future path to legal residency unlike migrants who are deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other law enforcement agencies.
"We'll buy your ticket, give you $3,000 to go home, and that includes people that have not been detained, maybe have interacted with us, are detained and don't have criminal charges against them," Noem said. "Raise your hand! We'll help you get home. We'll facilitate it, and you might get the chance to come back to this country the right way someday."
"If you wait until we interdict you and detain you and arrest you and have to deport you ourselves, you'll never get the chance to come back."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
An American citizen was killed in a multi-vehicle pileup in Tennessee last week after an illegal alien bus driver allegedly rear-ended a semi-truck while driving along I-40.
This marks the latest fatal crash tied to an illegal alien who obtained a commercial driver's license in the United States despite unlawful status.
'Far too many innocent Americans have been killed by illegal aliens driving semi-trucks and big rigs.'
Yisong Huang, a 54-year-old Chinese national, illegally entered the U.S. in 2023. While he admitted to Border Patrol agents that he had unlawfully entered the country, the Biden administration released him and provided him with work authorization documents and a Social Security card, the Department of Homeland Security reported.
Huang used his work documents to obtain a Class B CDL in New York, which allowed him to operate a bus.
On December 9, Huang allegedly caused a multi-vehicle crash after he rear-ended a tractor-trailer. Investigators found that Huang was "distracted by a video on his phone."
The incident resulted in the death of American citizen Kerry Smith and injuries to two other individuals. There were no passengers on Huang's bus at the time of the crash.
RELATED: Trump’s DOT claims 53% of New York’s non-domiciled CDLs were issued illegally
Huang failed his English proficiency test administered after the fatal collision.
"Far too many innocent Americans have been killed by illegal aliens driving semi-trucks and big rigs. And yet sanctuary states around the country have been issuing illegal aliens commercial driver's licenses. The Trump administration is ending the chaos," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said. "The brave men and women of ICE are working nonstop to get criminal illegal aliens out of our communities and off our roads."
RELATED: Illegal alien trucker accused of causing crash that killed newlyweds
Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, "It's not just that Joe Biden let millions of migrants flood into our country illegally. His administration doled out the documentation these unqualified foreigner drivers needed to obtain trucking licenses and operate 40-ton missiles on the highway. The fact that this individual failed a basic English test also calls into question how he even got the license in the first place. Working with Secretary Noem, we will continue to fight to keep you and your family safe on America's roadways."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey decided to blame federal law enforcement agents on Wednesday for the fatal shooting of a woman who apparently attempted to ram her vehicle into an officer. According to Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, “ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking ICE officers and […]
Alabama’s Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen announced Tuesday that his office found 186 noncitizens who were registered to vote, 25 of whom had allegedly cast ballots illegally. Allen’s office used the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to cross-reference voter rolls in his state with federal records. SAVE is a U.S. Citizenship and […]
www.theblaze.com