A recent three-day "special enforcement emphasis and focus" targeted at trucks and drivers from California was held at a western Oklahoma port of entry recently, leading to the arrest of 130 drivers.
The enforcement blitz was held at the Interstate 40 Beckham County port of entry at the Texas state line. It was facilitated by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which said it, "welcomed visitors from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to share space" at the port of entry. ICE was assisted by Oklahoma Department Of Public Fafety personnel.
“Oklahomans deserve safe highways,” said Corporation Commission Chair Kim David. “We appreciate the opportunity to assist ICE and DPS Troop S by removing non-compliant and dangerous drivers from our roads. By working together as law enforcement partners, we’re reducing risks for every driver.”
A statement from the commission said, "Almost 1.4 million trucks crossed the state border between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025, at the Beckham County POE on eastbound I-40, which made it an obvious site for the three-day special enforcement emphasis."
California has come under increased scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Transportation since a tractor-trailer accident in Florida killed three people. The driver of the truck, who entered the U.S. from Mexico illegally in 2018, was granted a CDL by California.
That accident came as the DOT was cracking down on drivers who were not proficient in English and of the issuance of CDLs to foreign drivers.
Oklahoma's Corporation Commission is a powerful three-member elected board that oversees the activities of oil, gas, and fuel businesses, petroleum storage tanks, public utilities and the transportation industry in the state.
Its Transportation Division is responsible for licensing and regulating commercial motor carriers, natural gas pipelines, and railroad companies. It also administers the International Fuel Tax Agreement and International Registration Plan.
"As the trucking industry regulatory experts for Oklahoma, the agency embraces the importance of partnering with fellow law enforcement agencies to keep our residents, state and nation safe," said the commission's statement about the three-day enforcement event.
