95 commercial truck drivers arrested in Yuma Border Patrol operation

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - A recent Border Patrol operation in the Yuma area resulted in the arrest of 95 commercially licensed truck drivers, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The weeklong operation ran from August 10 through August 14 and was conducted with local law enforcement partners. CBP say the operation targeted drug and human smuggling and resulted in 183 total arrests involving people from 18 different countries.

CBP says all 95 commercial drivers had valid state-issued commercial driver's licenses but were unauthorized to be in the country. Of those licenses, 76 were issued in California and six were issued in New York. None were issued in Arizona.

The operation also led agents to stop two human-smuggling attempts involving 21 people. Authorities also seized a firearm, methamphetamine and marijuana.

The arrests have raised concerns among some local truck drivers about safety and competition within the trucking industry.

Tommy Chappell, a Georgia native and longtime truck driver of over 15 years, says improperly trained or unqualified drivers can create dangerous conditions on the road.

“It's dangerous when they can't even read the street signs. It's real bad," Chappell said. "Not to mention the jobs that they're taking, which lowers our pay."

Toby Norman, the manager of Yuma Truck Driving On-Site School, says proper training is critical for anyone entering the industry.

“Obviously proper training is paramount," Norman said. "It's a lot of responsibility driving the truck. It's not as easy as people might think it is from watching the movies. So we make sure they get plenty of practice and wheel time."

This marks the second major enforcement operation involving commercial drivers in the Yuma Sector this year. A similar operation in June resulted in 52 arrests, including 36 semi-truck drivers.

Federal officials continue to increase their focus on commercial driver safety and immigration enforcement.