Federal authorities say a three-day commercial vehicle enforcement operation across four Midwestern states resulted in approximately 766 out-of-service orders and the arrest of 86 truck drivers.
The second wave of Operation Highway Shield was conducted July 28-30 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
According to DHS and DOT, inspectors focused on identifying unqualified commercial drivers, unsafe vehicles and fraudulent commercial driver licensing practices during roadside inspections along major freight corridors.
The joint mission targeted unqualified foreign drivers operating tractor-trailers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Ohio.
Authorities said the operation resulted in:
| Operation Highway Shield (July 28-30) | Results |
| Drivers/operators arrested | 86 |
| Drivers and vehicles placed out of service | 766 |
| Immigrants detained | 51 |
| Non-domiciled CDL holders detained | 21 |
| English-language proficiency violations | 36 |
| Stolen cargo recovered | Nearly $1 million |
Second major Highway Shield operation
Federal officials described the July operation as the second phase of Operation Highway Shield.
The first wave, conducted in Florida in March, included more than 3,300 commercial vehicle inspections. That operation resulted in 176 out-of-service orders, including 54 tied to English-language deficiencies, 35 criminal arrests and 42 individuals taken into custody for federal immigration violations.
The latest enforcement effort also builds on a July announcement expanding cooperation between FMCSA and Homeland Security Investigations to investigate alleged fraud involving commercial driver training schools and licensing.
DOT also highlighted several broader enforcement initiatives undertaken since 2025, including:
- More than 26,000 drivers were placed out of service for failing English-language requirements.
- Approximately 8,000 allegedly fraudulent CDL schools shut down.
- More than 30,000 improperly issued commercial driver’s licenses were revoked.
The latest operation comes as federal agencies continue increasing scrutiny of commercial driver qualifications, English-language proficiency, non-domiciled CDLs and alleged licensing fraud throughout the trucking industry.
Why it matters: Operation Highway Shield signals that coordinated federal-state trucking enforcement has become a sustained strategy rather than isolated inspections, with regulators increasingly combining safety, immigration, licensing and cargo theft investigations during roadside operations.
