A trucking industry executive has voiced concerns over the increasing presence of “foreign-owned entities” operating within the U.S. that allegedly bypass regulations. He suggests that this oversight is contributing to the rise of illegal immigrant drivers within the industry. These drivers, he claims, are being “exported” and “exploited,” exacerbating safety issues on American roads.

In response to a troubling series of fatal accidents, federal authorities are intensifying efforts to address the issue of illegal immigrant truck drivers. A significant step in this crackdown occurred in late October when the Department of Homeland Security revealed that 146 illegal immigrant truck drivers were apprehended along highways in northwest Indiana. This operation, dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz,” aims to enhance road safety and enforce immigration laws.

Among the recent incidents, one involved Borko Stankovic, an illegal immigrant whose actions led to a catastrophic accident on U.S. Highway 20 in Indiana. The incident, reported by FOX 32, occurred on October 15 when Stankovic, driving a semi-truck, failed to decelerate as traffic halted for a Ram Sprinter turning near Douglas Drive. Tricia McLaughlin, an Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, informed Fox News Digital that Stankovic had overstayed his nonimmigrant visa, which expired in February 2011.

In a desperate attempt to avoid the stopped traffic, Stankovic swerved sharply to the left, entering oncoming lanes and colliding with a Subaru Crosstrek, as stated by the Portage Police Department. The maneuver caused his semi-truck to jackknife, subsequently crashing into the Ram Sprinter and propelling it into a roadside sign.

The tragic accident, allegedly caused by Borko Stankovic, highlights the grave risks posed by unregulated drivers on American roads. (Image source: Google Maps/Portage County Sheriff’s Office)

Officials said the driver of the Subaru, 54-year-old Jeffrey Eberly, died at the scene.

Stankovic possessed a suspended commercial driver’s license (CDL) which belonged to a family member and wasn’t licensed to drive a truck himself, authorities said. He was charged with felony reckless homicide and felony criminal recklessness resulting in death.

In a separate incident on Aug. 12 in Fort Pierce, Florida, Harjinder Singh was driving a semi-truck when authorities said he attempted to make a U-turn in an unauthorized area. The trailer then jackknifed and was hit by a minivan, killing all three people inside the minivan, officials said.

Singh crossed the U.S. border illegally in 2018 and was issued a CDL in California, authorities said. Singh was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide.

Zach Meiborg, who owns Meiborg Brothers Trucking in Illinois, told Fox News Digital that a sizable portion of the trucking industry has been shipped off to foreign-owned countries who don’t have an issue with hiring illegal immigrants even though it’s against the law.

“We’re watching our bureaucrats export the most vital industry to our economy to foreign-owned entities, typically in the Eastern Bloc, formerly Russia. That’s why they have no problem hiring them,” Meiborg said. “Where foreign-owned companies realized they could exploit like five different areas of the trucking economy and explode the growth of their fleets. And they did it by just flat out breaking the laws and our bureaucrats that regulate us looked the other way.”

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy speaks during a news conference to provide a status update on Newark Liberty International Airport at the Department of Transportation in Washington, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Meiborg said some trucking companies saw an opportunity to move their operations offshore during the COVID-19 pandemic, putting American companies at a disadvantage.

“Their dispatch is over there, their safety is over there, the recruiting is over there, and they do it all digitally online,” he said. “So they’re running foreign labor, imported from overseas, not trained, they’re paying them 1099, not W-2, not complying with any of the ACA or state tax laws or federal tax laws.”

Bodycam still shows Harjinder Singh holding paperwork as a New Mexico State Police officer issues him a speeding ticket during a July 3 traffic stop. (New Mexico State Police bodycam)

Meiborg said these companies are creating their own electronic logbooks and self-certifying that they’re following certain regulations, therefore manipulating the system with little to no oversight.

The Department of Transportation has begun taking action to combat the number of illegal immigrants operating semi-trucks. In late September, the agency announced an emergency interim final rule that would increase federal oversight of how states issue non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses.

A mugshot provided by the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office of Harjinder Singh, who was booked into the St. Lucie County Jail, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. Singh, an illegal immigrant commercial truck driver, is facing charges after three people were killed in a crash after he allegedly made an illegal U-turn on a Florida interstate Aug. 12. (St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office)

Robert Khachatryan, founder and CEO of Freight Right Global Logistics, told Fox News Digital that the federal government needs to continue strengthening its oversight of the industry if it wants to address the number of illegal immigrants driving commercial trucks.

“It’s just about enforcing the existing law, right? It’s not like we’re saying change the law, don’t provide driver’s licenses to illegal aliens. They’re not supposed to. The law is very clear. You need to be a legal resident or you need to be a U.S. citizen to obtain a commercial driver’s license in most states, as far as I know. So it just comes down to enforcement,” Khachatryan said.