Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) unveiled the TruckSafe Tipline on Tuesday, which allows those who work in the trucking industry to report carriers that may be breaking federal laws.
“If you’re a trucker or work in the industry and see something unsafe or know of shady carriers hiring illegals, I want to hear from you,” Banks wrote in a post on social media.
'The TruckSafe Tipline gives people on the ground a way to speak up when they see carriers cutting corners and putting lives at risk.'
The reporting system encourages truckers to submit a form if they believe a carrier has employed or contracted drivers who are illegally in the U.S., who are not authorized to drive, or who do not meet the English-language proficiency requirements.
Banks’ office will share the submitted tips with the Department of Transportation and its Office of Inspector General.
“Indiana is the Crossroads of America and Hoosiers are getting killed because drivers who shouldn’t be here in the first place are behind the wheel. If you’re driving a truck on our roads, you need to be legal, you need to be able to read traffic signs, and you need to follow the law. The TruckSafe Tipline gives people on the ground a way to speak up when they see carriers cutting corners and putting lives at risk,” Banks stated.
The tip line was launched following a semi-truck crash in Indiana last week that resulted in the deaths of four Amish men, including a father and two sons.
RELATED: Trucker accused of killing 4 Amish men — and DHS claims he's an 'illegal alien'
The driver of the truck, Bekzhan Beishekeev, a 30-year-old Kyrgyzstani national who obtained his commercial driver’s license in Pennsylvania despite allegedly residing in the U.S. illegally, was accused of swerving into oncoming traffic and striking a 15-passenger van head-on.
Beishekeev is in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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Banks’ office noted that the DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is investigating the carrier that employed Beishekeev as well as several other companies.
“These interconnected carriers have all the markings of FRAUD and are accused of being CHAMELEON CARRIERS. This is when companies swap names and DOT numbers to avoid enforcement,” DOT Secretary Sean Duffy stated. “The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is working AROUND THE CLOCK to hold anyone involved in this horrific crime accountable.”
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A Kyrgyzstani semi-truck driver is in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody following a collision that caused the death of multiple individuals.
Around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Bekzhan Beishekeev, 30, was driving east on State Road 67 in Indiana when his truck collided head-on with a van, killing four of the vehicle's occupants.
'Beishekeev illegally came to the United States using the Biden administration's disastrous CBP One app and was released into the United States.'
Beishekeev was accused of failing to slow down for another semi-truck in front of him and swerving into oncoming traffic.
The collision killed Henry Eicher, 50; his two sons, Menno Eicher, 25, and Paul Eicher, 19; and a family friend, Simon Girod, 23, FreightWaves reported. The men belonged to Bryant, Indiana's Amish community. The van's driver, Donald Stipp, 55, reportedly underwent surgery and is in stable condition.
The Department of Homeland Security, which referred to Beishekeev as an "illegal alien," stated that the truck driver crashed into a van "carrying up to 15 passengers."
Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated on Thursday that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was conducting an on-site investigation of the carrier that hired Beishekeev.
"There MUST be accountability for the community of Bryant, Indiana, who are devastated by the loss of their loved ones," Duffy declared. "I will continue to demand we shine a spotlight on these preventable tragedies and pray for the beautiful Amish community."
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Beishekeev is a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, according to the Indiana State Police. He entered the United States on December 19, 2024, in Nogales, Arizona, by using the Biden administration CBP One cellphone app.
"Beishekeev illegally came to the United States using the Biden administration's disastrous CBP One app and was released into the United States. Even worse, Josh Shapiro's Pennsylvania issued him a commercial driver's license," the DHS wrote. "Sanctuary politicians must STOP issuing commercial driver's licenses to illegal aliens before another American is killed."
RELATED: 'Slow-walking' safety? Trump DOT threatens to yank $24M over Colorado's illegal CDL mess.
Gov. Shapiro argued that Beishekeev had legal status.
“Every person who applies for a non-domiciled commercial driver’s license issued by PennDOT must provide proof of identify and proof of their legal presence in the United States. That information is verified by the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, administered by Kristi Noem and the United States Department of Homeland Security,” a spokesperson for Shapiro told Fox News.
"The individual in question had legal status in Kristi Noem’s database when the license was issued in July 2025 and still shows as eligible to receive a license as of today. Kristi Noem should focus on minding the shop in her own agency, as her incompetence and operational failures seem to be matching the scale of her moral failures as the Secretary of Homeland Security," the spokesperson added.
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When it comes to his role in Indiana's unlikely rise to the top of college football, Hoosier quarterback Fernando Mendoza knows just who to thank: "the man upstairs."
"I really give a lot that I have accomplished this season in my life to the Lord and really give thanks to God. ... Give all the glory to God," Mendoza told reporters ahead of tonight's 2026 National Championship against the University of Miami.
'I really give a lot that I have accomplished this season in my life to the Lord.'
At the press conference Saturday, the recent Indiana University transfer stressed that his success was a team effort — a team that includes the priests at his Catholic parish in Bloomington.
"I'm a Catholic man," Mendonza told reporters. "And they've done so much to help me, whether it's confession or just [being] able to talk or just Mass every Sunday."
This is not the first time Mendoza has credited the men of the St. Paul Catholic Center.
On Christmas Eve, the 22-year-old brought them his 2025 Heisman Trophy. Mendoza won the award — which honors the nation's top college football player — on December 15, thanks in part to the 41 touchdown passes he threw for the Hoosiers this season.
Recalling the moment, Mendoza said, "I think it was really important to take it over [to] those guys, especially those guys who have been great religious mentors to myself."
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In his Heisman acceptance speech, Mendoza thanked God for giving him "the opportunity to chase a dream that once felt the world away" and vowed to live up to the honor.
Mendoza, who attends Mass weekly and says he prays before every game, also thanked his younger brother Alberto, currently Indiana's backup quarterback. Calling Alberto his "lifelong teammate," Mendoza described him as the one person he could trust to "get through a tough day, tough play, [or] tough game."
"I love you, bro. I love you and thank you for always giving it to me straight no matter the circumstance."
The NCAA national football championship airs from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., launched a tip line Tuesday to protect Americans from truckers who are illegal aliens, not authorized to drive a truck, or do not speak English proficiently enough to safely drive on U.S. roads. The tip line comes after numerous illegal aliens who received commercial drivers’ licenses (CDLs) have killed or injured […]
During a hearing Monday, self-described immigrants testified in favor of illegal immigration and called both the United States and basic law enforcement racist.
Here are the top 10 best moments from Monday night’s matchup.
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