40 Illegal Truck Drivers Found in a Wyoming Highway Patrol Operation

Wyoming Operation Leads to 40 Truck Drivers Facing Deportation

Operation Targets Truckers Bypassing Port of Entry

Cowboy State Daily reports that Wyoming officials say a joint operation last week led to 40 truck drivers being taken into custody for deportation. The effort involved the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP). Officers focused on drivers who used county roads to avoid the port of entry near the Colorado border.

Sheriff Brian Kozak shared the first public update in a Friday video posted on the sheriff’s office Facebook page. He said the three agencies worked together early each morning. Their goal was to find truck drivers who were not stopping at required inspection points.

Traffic Stops and Inspections Involving Truck Drivers

During the three-day operation, officers made 195 traffic stops. Each stop began with a clear violation, such as speeding or lighting problems.

WHP completed 133 commercial vehicle inspections. After these inspections, officers placed 44 trucks and 38 truck drivers out of service.

Kozak said the operation involved about 205 total encounters. This number includes 10 contacts made by WHP at the port of entry. He confirmed that 40 of the truckers taken into custody now face deportation proceedings. ICE had transport vehicles ready to move the detainees to Aurora, Colorado. None of the individuals were booked into the Laramie County Detention Center.

Complaints From Lawful Truck Drivers

Kozak told Cowboy State Daily that the operation began after complaints from other truck drivers. These drivers said some of their undocumented peers were using county roads before sunrise to avoid the ports of entry.

“It actually surprised me, to be honest with you, how bad of problem this is,” Kozak said. He said the ratio of unlicensed truckers found during the operation was “unbelievable” to him.

Kozak said he took part in the operation all three days. Officers set up radar around 4 a.m. each morning. He said five or six deputies joined the effort daily, along with about eight ICE officers and eight to ten WHP troopers.

Criminal Histories Found Among Some Truck Drivers

Kozak said several of the truckers taken into custody had prior criminal records. One had been convicted of sexual assault and deported twice. Another had DUI and larceny convictions and had been deported five times.

WHP Reports Safety Violations Among Truckers

In a Monday statement, WHP said the operation ran from Tuesday to Thursday. The agency said more than 50 arrests were made across the three groups involved. WHP said ICE made 12 arrests tied directly to commercial carrier inspections.

WHP used a mobile team of federally certified inspectors to examine truck drivers and their vehicles. The agency listed several out-of-service violations. These included 45 brake system violations, 16 CDL or licensing issues, 10 English language proficiency violations, and two drug-related violations.

WHP said the 62% violation rate among the 133 inspections was high. The agency said the results showed the need for more enforcement on county roads and two-lane highways.

Highway Patrol Stresses Safety for All

WHP Col. Tim Cameron said public safety remains the agency’s top concern. “The safety of Wyoming’s motoring public is our top priority,” Cameron said. He said WHP will continue “aggressive and proactive enforcement” to make sure truck drivers and commercial carriers follow safety rules.