TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that he is sending a formal letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration urging the federal government to revoke commercial driver’s license (CDL) program authority and strip related federal funding from California and Washington following the deadly crash on August 12th, 2025, that claimed three lives.
“States like California and Washington ignored the rules, gave an illegal alien a license to drive a 40-ton truck, and three people are dead as a result. A preventable tragedy due to sanctuary state policies,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “In response, we’re supporting our Agricultural Law Enforcement and state police to ramp up inspections at state entry-points for illegal aliens who may be operating large trucks using out-of-state driver’s licenses. If you’re here illegally or can’t speak English, you have no business operating large commercial vehicles on Florida’s roads. We commend Commissioner Simpson and his department’s 287(g) certified law enforcement officers for turning Florida’s interdiction stations into strongholds of immigration enforcement. Together, we will ensure dangerous drivers are taken off the road and criminals serve their time before deportation.”
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Commissioner Wilton Simpson made the announcement alongside Attorney General Uthmeier at an agricultural interdiction station along Interstate 10 in Live Oak. All FDACS sworn law enforcement officers were certified in July, and they are stationing at interdiction checkpoints to work together with federal and state partners on immigration enforcement and checking for English proficiency for commercial drivers while continuing agricultural inspections. These interdiction stations, which are distinct from FDOT weigh stations, will serve as critical enforcement points to stop human smuggling, fraudulent documents, and unsafe commercial vehicles…