According to a Fox News report, federal transportation officials removed hundreds of commercial truck drivers from service after routine weigh-station inspections uncovered widespread violations during a three-day, multi-state enforcement surge, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) said.
The latest iteration of Operation SafeDRIVE — Distracted, Reckless, Impaired, Visibility Enforcement — ran Jan. 13–15 across trucking corridors in 26 states and Washington, D.C., and resulted in nearly 2,000 drivers being placed out of service, FMCSA told Fox News Digital.
FMCSA said participating agencies conducted more than 8,200 inspections, placing 704 drivers out of service. Roughly 500 of those truckers were cited for failing English proficiency standards, according to the report.
Inspectors also flagged 1,231 vehicles as unfit for the road and arrested 56 people, including arrests tied to DUI/DWI and alleged unlawful presence in the U.S., Fox reported.
USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy said the operation reflects a broader push to remove unsafe drivers and vehicles from American highways.
“Operation SafeDRIVE shows what happens when we work together with our law enforcement partners to pull unqualified drivers and vehicles off American roads,” Duffy told Fox News Digital.
“We need a whole-of-government approach to ensure the Trump administration’s strong standards of safety are in place to protect American families and reduce road accidents.”
The enforcement push comes as officials and lawmakers spotlight commercial-vehicle safety following a deadly crash in Jay County, Indiana, involving a Kyrgyz national identified as Bekzhan Beishekeev, which drew renewed scrutiny of licensing, vetting, and immigration enforcement actions tied to commercial drivers.