TULSA, Okla. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Monday that more than 230 people were arrested during a three-day enforcement operation targeting immigration violations and commercial driver's license eligibility within the trucking industry.
The operation, known as Operation Guardian, took place from October 26 through October 28, 2026, across 15 states. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced the results on November 2 during a news conference at Melton Truck Lines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The operation involved U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement working alongside state and local law enforcement agencies.
More than 40 of those arrested held commercial driver's licenses, according to DHS. The participating states were Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas. DHS said 1,005 commercial vehicles were inspected during the operation.
"In just three days, we arrested more than 230 illegal aliens, including over 40 illegal aliens with commercial driver's licenses, across 15 states," Secretary Mullin said. DHS said the people arrested came from more than 19 countries.
DHS also reported cumulative figures covering a much longer period: ICE recorded 4,795 CDL-related arrests nationwide between January 20, 2025, and October 28, 2026, of which 1,233 involved individuals who held commercial driver's licenses. The department did not provide a state-by-state breakdown of the Operation Guardian arrests or say how many of the arrested CDL holders were actively operating commercial trucks when taken into custody.
A separate nationwide enforcement initiative, Operation Guardrail, launched on September 25, had resulted in 303 arrests as of October 29, according to DHS. The department did not say whether the Guardian arrests were included in either cumulative total.
