The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety plans to expand and continue enforcement operations in the wake of a multiagency sweep that led to more than 120 arrests at the eastbound Interstate 40 port of entry at Erick in Beckham County.
DPS Commissioner Tim Tipton said the crackdown marked just the beginning of a broader initiative aimed at protecting Oklahomans and stopping organized crime tied to trucking routes across the state.
“Moving forward, we’ll continue with these types of operations because our desire is to make sure that every Oklahoman is safe,” Tipton said.
During the recent three-day operation, 20 Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers from the DPS worked alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Transportation Division enforcement officers from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, to inspect hundreds of trucks entering the Sooner State.
Of the 520 drivers stopped, nearly one in four were not in the U.S. legally, according to Tipton. All of the drivers had crossed the southern U.S. border and some had reentered illegally after being deported by ICE, he said. Several of the individuals arrested had overstayed their visas, Tipton said.
The investigation also discovered suspects who had criminal records for assault, money laundering, drug trafficking, human smuggling and drunken driving, he said.
All of the individuals who were arrested were taken into custody for further processing in federal and state courts. Those arrested were taken to ICE offices in Oklahoma City and Tulsa before being moved to holding facilities in Oklahoma or Texas, Tipton said.
Those arrested were from various countries. Gov. Kevin Stitt’s office issued a press release stating that the illegal commercial truck drivers carried driver licenses issued by sanctuary states from multiple countries, including India, Uzbekistan, China, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Mauritania.
“These individuals posed a public safety risk by operating 80,000-pound commercial vehicles without proper verification,” the governor said.
OHP provided a photo of one New York license that listed the driver as “No Name Given.”
Stitt said such licenses won’t pass the test in Oklahoma, and neither will drivers who carry them. “If New York wants to hand out CDLs to illegal immigrants with ‘No Name Given’, that’s on them,” he said. “The moment they cross into Oklahoma, they answer to our laws.”
The New York Department of Motor Vehicles said in a statement that the license in question was issued in accordance with all proper procedures, including verification of the individual’s identity through federally issued documentation, Oklahoma Voice reported.
“The individual has lawful status in the United States through a federal employment authorization and was issued a license consistent with federal guidelines,” the New York DMV said. “It is not uncommon for individuals from other countries to have only one name.”
Tipton said that because of new federal guidelines, he doesn’t believe New York will be able to continue that loose licensing practice.
The law enforcement officers at the western Oklahoma port of entry impounded multiple commercial trucks and trailers, securing cargo for inspection and investigation. “The owner of the trucking company can go to that yard and recover the truck,” Tipton said.
Approximately 90% of the illegal aliens arrested at the POE were commercial motor vehicle drivers, he said.
Officials said the coordinated effort is part of a long-term plan to identify illegal freight operations and disrupt smuggling networks operating along Oklahoma’s interstate corridors.
“These operations send a clear message,” Tipton said. “We’re committed to keeping Oklahoma’s roads safe and holding accountable anyone who endangers our communities.”
DPS leadership confirmed plans for continued and expanded enforcement throughout western Oklahoma and other major shipping routes. The next phase will include additional roadside inspections and multiagency checkpoints designed to detect criminal activity tied to freight and logistics operations.
Tipton said DPS will remain aggressive in its approach, emphasizing that Oklahoma’s goal is public safety first.