The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol announced its agents in Arizona recently arrested 52 individuals during Operation Checkmate for being in the U.S. illegally, of which 36 were driving semi-trucks. Operation Checkmate is an enforcement effort aimed at the detection and arrest of illegal aliens operating commercial motor vehicles.

CBP stated that of the 36 illegal alien semi-truck drivers arrested, 29 were in possession of CDLs from states such as: California, New York, Washington, and Virginia, and three did not possess any form of driver’s license. Thirty of the individuals were from India, while the remaining six were from Mexico, El Salvador, and Russia.

Most subjects possessed Employment Authorization Documents, which were obtained during the Biden administration and are no longer valid under current DOT rules for non-domiciled CDL holders. CBP added that all individuals were processed in accordance with federal law and will be deported.