A joint enforcement initiative between U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Texas Department of Public Safety has led to the permanent disqualification of over 1,000 commercial drivers from holding a CDL due to convictions for smuggling people or narcotics. This aggressive program, known as the Texas Hold’Em Initiative, was launched in 2008 and has since become a cornerstone of border security operations at one of the busiest commercial trade ports in the U.S.—the Laredo crossing. Under this initiative, any truck driver convicted in federal court of human or drug smuggling in Texas is permanently banned from holding a commercial driver’s license in any U.S. state. As of this fiscal year alone, 141 CDLs have already been revoked. In total, the Laredo Sector CBP has disqualified 1,053 CDL holders—848 due to human smuggling and the remainder for drug trafficking. What sets Texas apart is a unique provision… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.
1 week ago
