EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — “Smuggle humans. Smuggle drugs. Lose your CDL.”
A message from the U.S. Border Patrol’s Laredo Sector and the Texas Department of Public Safety, which have teamed up to revoke the Commercial Driver’s Licenses of hundreds of truck drivers with certain felony convictions.
As part of their Texas Hold’em Initiative, the two agencies have collaborated to cancel the CDLs of 141 drivers this fiscal year, which started on Oct 1.
“Don’t gamble your livelihood away,” says U.S. Border Patrol Agent Tomas Carrillo, the Acting Special Operations Supervisor for the Laredo Sector, in a video posted on social media.
According to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Texas Hold’em Initiative aims to permanently revoke the CDL of anyone convicted of using their commercial vehicle to smuggle humans or drugs.
Standing alongside DPS Sgt. Ramon Farias, Carrillo says their message is clear: “In addition to serving jail time for human and narcotics smuggling, the Texas Hold’em initiative, in partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety, will cancel your CDL for life.”
CBP said that since its inception in June 2008, Texas Hold’em has resulted in the cancellation of 1,053 CDLs, including 848 for human smuggling and 205 for drug smuggling,
The initiative relies on law enforcement agencies and transportation stakeholders to communicate and share information.
Additionally, CBP said, Border Patrol agents assigned to the program conduct weekly educational outreach to the transportation industry, freight forwarding agencies, customs brokers, and commercial drivers, outlining the dangers of human and narcotic smuggling.
“If you smuggle anyone who enters this country illegally, you will lose your CDL license and go to jail,” Farias says. “Texas DPS, together with our federal partners, will continue leading the fight against criminal organizations who continue to endanger people’s lives and hurt border communities.”
CBP encourages the public to report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol while remaining anonymous by calling 1-(800)-343-1994.
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