A truck driver and his passenger were arrested and placed on an ICE deportation hold after Indiana State Police found $7 million worth of cocaine during a routine inspection.
According to Indiana State Police, a trooper stopped a blue International tractor-trailer at the 41-mile marker of eastbound Interstate 70 for a DOT inspection on Saturday, Jan. 3. During the inspection, the trooper said that criminal indicators were observed and that a police K-9 signaled a positive alert, which triggered a probable cause search.
As part of the search, Indiana State Police said the trooper found 309 pounds of cocaine in the sleeper berth of the truck.
The two occupants – 25-year-old Gurpreet Singh and 30-year-old Jasveer Singh – were taken into custody without incident and transported to the Putnam County Jail in Indiana. According to the Indiana State Police, both were charged with dealing narcotics (level 2 felony) and were placed on deportation holds with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In recent months, ICE has coordinated with states to apprehend truck drivers who are believed to be operating illegally.
Raids in Alabama led to the detainment of 82 truck drivers, including 12 who did not have a driver’s license of any kind.
This past November, a commercial vehicle enforcement operation in Texas led to the apprehension of 31 truck drivers believed to be in the United States illegally. Similar operations in Wyoming and Oklahoma yielded dozens more detainments.
In December, ICE announced the results of Operation Highway Sentinel in California. According to ICE, 101 truck drivers, who were believed to be in the country illegally, were arrested.
“Southern California is home to the two busiest seaports in the United States – the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach,” said Eddy Wang, a special agent with ICE Homeland Security Investigations of Los Angeles. “As cargo moves from these ports across the nation, it is essential that those transporting it comply fully with the law to keep our roadways safe. Our operation has taken 101 drivers off the streets who should not have been behind the wheel, sending a clear message that violations of our laws and threats to public safety will not be tolerated.” LL
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