The Oklahoma Highway Patrol, working alongside federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, arrested 120 illegal immigrants during a large-scale operation near the Texas border.
Oklahoma Highway Crackdown Uncovers Major Safety Risks
The state launched the plan, called Operation Guardian, under the direction of Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt in partnership with the Department of Public Safety (DPS). Officials said troopers carried out the sting along Interstate 40, a busy commercial route, where they encountered hundreds of drivers.
During the checks, troopers stopped more than 500 people at a port of entry. They turned 120 of them over to ICE for further action. Troopers connected most of the arrests to drivers who operated massive 18-wheelers weighing up to 80,000 pounds without proper or verifiable licenses.
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DPS Commissioner Tim Tipton described the findings as alarming. He explained that many drivers carried licenses that had either expired by nearly a decade or were linked to the same individual’s name, which made it impossible to know their true identity. According to Tipton, putting unverified drivers in charge of heavy trucks moving at highway speeds put the public at extreme risk.
“You don’t have a minor collision with a commercial vehicle,” Tipton said. “An 80,000-pound truck at 70 miles an hour isn’t going to be a minor crash.”
Operation Guardian Targets Criminal Offenders
Governor Stitt said Operation Guardian is a comprehensive plan to identify and remove undocumented offenders from Oklahoma’s roads and communities. The state currently houses about 525 undocumented offenders in Oklahoma prisons, which costs nearly $36,000 per day.
The plan also outlines the types of crimes linked to these offenders. Officials said:
- Around 30% involve violent crimes against children.
- About 20% are violent assaults.
- Nearly 14% involve homicides or other violent deaths.
- Roughly 7% are sex crimes.
Most of the offenders are from Mexico (72%), followed by individuals from Guatemala, Honduras, and Vietnam.
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Governor Stitt said the new approach will ensure authorities move undocumented offenders directly from state or county custody into federal deportation proceedings, rather than releasing them. He added that officials needed the effort because he described federal leaders as neglecting enforcement for years.
“Former President Biden’s weak border policies allowed our country to become a safe haven for criminal illegal migrants — that ends in Oklahoma with Operation Guardian,” Stitt said. “These dangerous illegal aliens should not be walking our streets, and they soon won’t be. Oklahoma will continue to stand for law and order.”
Expanded ICE Role and Oklahoma Deportation Measures
As part of Operation Guardian, the state expanded agreements with ICE, allowing some local and state officers to detain and transfer offenders directly to federal authorities. The plan also gives parole boards the ability to send noncitizen inmates straight to federal custody if deportation orders already exist.
A new program known as Rapid REPAT will also be implemented. This system allows eligible inmates to give up their rights to appeal and move directly into deportation, speeding up the process.
Commissioner Tipton stressed that the effort is not only about immigration enforcement but also about protecting families in Oklahoma on highways and in local communities.
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“This plan ensures Oklahoma leads the nation in cracking down on illegal aliens who’ve committed crimes against our communities,” Tipton said. “Operation Guardian is a direct response to the threat these criminals pose to our citizens.”
In other words, Tipton stressed that the plan is designed to directly protect families and neighborhoods from repeat offenders.
Officials emphasized that the arrests highlight the dangers posed by unverified drivers controlling massive trucks on busy interstates. For instance, some of these vehicles weighed up to 80,000 pounds, making even a small accident a serious risk. Therefore, by removing these offenders from the roads, the state hopes to prevent potential tragedies.
Moreover, Operation Guardian marks one of Oklahoma’s largest joint enforcement efforts in recent years. State and federal officials worked side by side to identify offenders and hand them over to federal immigration authorities. In conclusion, the coordinated action showed how Oklahoma law enforcement and ICE could align their efforts to address public safety and immigration concerns simultaneously.