Federal and state law enforcement leaders gathered in Tulsa on Monday to announce the results of “Operation Guardian,” a 15-state initiative aimed at removing undocumented commercial drivers from American highways.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin joined Oklahoma Department of Public Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton at Melton Trucking in Tulsa to detail the three-day enforcement surge. Officials revealed that law enforcement officers inspected 1,005 commercial vehicles during the operation, resulting in more than 230 arrests. Among those taken into custody were 40 individuals actively operating commercial trucks without proper legal authorization or valid credentials.
“When it comes to somebody driving an 80,000-pound truck who has not been trained properly, can’t read and speak English, we’ve seen the devastating effects of this around the country,” Tipton said. “It’s our obligation as one of our primary functions of the Highway Patrol to try and prevent these types of acts”.
Multi-State Strategy Stops Highway Diversions
Operation Guardian was developed after Oklahoma law enforcement noticed commercial drivers attempting to bypass state weigh stations. Governor Kevin Stitt first directed Department of Public Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton to design the program in…