Recently, DOT partnered with DHS Border Patrol agents to enforce federal subversion laws. (Transportation Topics and Getty Images)
key takeaways:
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on July 16 a joint DOT and DHS investigation of 75 CDL training schools suspected of fraud.
- Officials said the fraud involved improper certification and falsified records, after previous actions resulted in thousands of drivers, licenses and training providers being removed from FMCSA oversight.
- As part of expanded interagency enforcement efforts, DHS Homeland Security Investigations will partner with FMCSA to target CDL fraud, including non-domiciled licenses.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Joint operation announced With the Department of Homeland Security to investigate 75 truck driver training schools suspected of fraud.
DHS will now assist the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This is the second interagency enforcement partnership; Recently, DOT partnered with DHS Border Patrol agents to enforce federal subversion laws.
“We have removed more than 24,000 drivers from the road for not speaking English, forced states to revoke more than 28,000 licenses illegally issued to foreign drivers, and removed more than 9,500 unqualified training schools from our FMCSA registry,” Duffy said.
FMCSA found 75 commercial driver license training schools suspected of committing fraud such as issuing improper driver certificates, falsifying training records and failing to adequately train drivers applying for a CDL, Duffy said.
Duffy said on July 16, “DHS will be a force multiplier in our efforts to clean up America’s streets. President Trump is doing everything he can to ensure the safety of American families.”
Connected: What to know about the DOT’s crackdown on CDL mills
DHS issued an announcement stating the same day that his Homeland Security investigation would work with FMCSA to identify and address fraud associated with the issuance of non-domiciled CDLs to undocumented drivers.
(Department of Homeland Security)
In February, the DOT said that more than 550 CDL schools had violated federal safety requirements and were issued notices of proposed removal from FMCSA’s National Training Provider Registry.
DHS Secretary Markway Mullin called the new partnership with DOT a “whole-of-government approach” to improving national road safety.
Mullin said DHS law enforcement investigators are now working with DOT to eliminate CDL fraud, strengthen the integrity of the CDL system, and investigate CDL training schools across the country.
He added, “Too many American lives have been lost in entirely avoidable accidents because illegal aliens have been granted commercial driver’s licenses to drive trucks and 18-wheelers on America’s roads.”
