Homeland Security Secretary and former U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin said the multi-state operation is about getting unsafe drivers off the road and holding companies accountable.
From Interstate 40 to some of Oklahoma’s biggest transportation corridors, commercial trucks are a big part of keeping the economy moving.
Federal officers said some of the people behind the wheel shouldn’t be there. On Monday, they pointed to hundreds of arrests here in Oklahoma as they work to expand enforcement.
Mullin said Operation Guardian is part of a larger effort to remove unauthorized commercial drivers from America’s roads. The 72-hour operation brought together 15 states, including Oklahoma, to help prevent drivers from avoiding checkpoints by crossing state lines.
Officials said the operation has resulted in more than 200 arrests and identified 40 people operating commercial trucks with unauthorized licenses.
Acting ICE Director Russ Hans shared that since January 2025, ICE reportedly arrested more than 1,200 people with commercial driver’s licenses nationwide. More than 710 of those arrests were made in Oklahoma.
Mullin said the problem goes beyond immigration, arguing that unqualified drivers and companies that cut corners put everyone on the road at risk.
As Oklahoma continues to attract new industry and investment, that also means more commercial trucks could be hitting our roads.
Mullin said federal officials plan to continue working with state and local partners to enforce existing laws and keep unauthorized drivers off the road, and officials said they’re not just focusing on the drivers.
They’re also looking at trucking companies and brokers that continue to hire unqualified drivers or try to get around federal regulations.
