Operation Midway Blitz in Indiana leads to 146 truckers arrested

Operation Midway Blitz was carried out in coordination with the Indiana State Police, resulting in the arrest of 146 truck drivers.

Raids conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency continue across the country, with truck drivers under particular scrutiny following a series of accidents in recent months that left multiple victims and involved drivers with pending immigration status.

As part of Operation Midway Blitz, recently conducted in the state of Indiana, 146 semi-truck drivers were arrested. Many of them held commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued in other states, primarily in so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions such as California, Illinois, and New York, according to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

Noem warned that drivers with irregular immigration status pose a threat to public safety, noting that many families have been victims of accidents caused by those who “choose to endanger safety on the roads.”

Operation Midway Blitz in Indiana leads to 146 arrests

The operation, conducted jointly with the Indiana State Police, resulted in the arrest of 223 foreign nationals in the country illegally on highways across the state, near the Illinois border. Among them were 146 truck drivers. The action, which took place in northwestern Indiana, was part of Operation Midway Blitz, headquartered in Chicago.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons called it “inconceivable” that individuals without legal immigration status could hold commercial driver’s licenses and operate 18-wheel trucks across the nation. “Just because some sanctuary cities choose to play with the lives of motorists, they allow these dangerous individuals to drive equally dangerous vehicles on our highways,” Lyons stated.

The operation follows several high-profile fatal crashes involving drivers who were unable to communicate effectively or had not passed the required tests. Similar actions were carried out in Oklahoma, where 120 undocumented truck drivers were detained.

Authorities involved in Operation Midway Blitz in Indiana reported that several of the detained drivers had criminal records. They stated that the operation specifically targets “criminal illegal aliens” who lack the proper documentation to operate commercial vehicles.

The criminal activities associated with the 223 undocumented foreign nationals detained during this operation include:

Driving under the influence (DUI)
Drug trafficking
Theft
Burglary
Assault
Child abuse
Domestic violence
Prostitution
Fraud

Operation Midway Blitz as a safety measure, according to the Department of Homeland Security

In recent months, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has highlighted a concerning trend: an increasing number of foreign nationals with irregular immigration status and criminal records are driving commercial vehicles on U.S. highways. This situation poses a direct threat to public safety and has resulted in the needless loss of human life, the agency warned.

In response, the DHS announced the launch of Operation Midway Blitz, an enforcement initiative led by ICE, aimed at identifying and detaining undocumented drivers or those with pending immigration cases in order to strengthen highway safety across the United States.