Two truck drivers were arrested in the US state of Indiana for allegedly smuggling over 300 pounds of cocaine inside a semi truck, the US Department of Homeland Security said on January 5. The DHS release said that both individuals were from India, and were arrested after a routine truck inspection led to the recovery of 309 pounds of cocaine.
On January 4, Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged detainers for 25-year-old Gurpreet Singh and 30-year-old Jasveer Singh, after their arrest by the local authorities in Putnam County in Indiana.
“With a lethal dose of cocaine being as little as 1.2 grams, that is enough to kill more than 113,000 Americans,” the DHS release read. The authorities also said that 309 pounds of cocaine was found concealed in the sleeper berth of the semi-truck.
Both individuals were given Commercial Drivers' Licenses issued by the state of California, DHS reported. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called out Gavin Newsom for granting the individuals a driver's license, calling his policies “reckless.”
“Gavin Newsom and his fellow sanctuary politicians even refused to honour an arrest detainer on one of these criminal illegal aliens in December," DHS quoted McLaughlin as saying. She also said that Gavin's sanctuary policies are putting American lives at risk.
Gurpreet Singh illegally entered the US, back on March 11, 2023, near Lukeville, Arizona. He was later released in the US under the Biden administration. According to DHS, Gurpreet freely admitted that he was a citizen of India and had illegally entered the US.
Jasveer Singh also entered the US on March 21, 2017, near Otay Mesa in California. He was arrested by Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
Earlier, a 22-year-old India-origin student was arrested in the US on charges of arson and making a terroristic threat against family members, HT reported. The student named Lella was accused of attempting to set the home on fire several days before the arrest.
Editorial Context & Insight
Original analysis & verification
Methodology
This article includes original analysis and synthesis from our editorial team, cross-referenced with primary sources to ensure depth and accuracy.
