Florida Authorities Arrest Multiple Illegal Aliens in CDL Cheating Scheme After Deadly Truck Crash: Report

Authorities in Florida have uncovered a sophisticated cheating operation that allowed illegal aliens to obtain commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) without understanding English, raising concerns about highway safety nationwide. 

The arrests come after a series of deadly crashes involving truck drivers who could not read road signs, highlighting the dangers posed by unqualified operators. 

In Jacksonville, five men were taken into custody after investigators discovered they used concealed phones and earpieces to cheat on CDL exams. 

The devices, hidden under t-shirts with small holes, captured the test questions, which were then relayed in real time to accomplices outside the DMV. 

Correct answers were fed back to the test-takers, some of whom unbuttoned their shirts to ensure the phones were properly positioned. 

Sergeant Dylan Bryan of the Florida Highway Patrol described the operation as “organized fraud” and cautioned that similar schemes could exist elsewhere in the state. 

Many of the arrested men requested interpreters because they could not speak or read English, including Ukrainian and other foreign languages, allowing them to legally operate large trucks despite their limited comprehension, WTLV reports.

The arrests follow a fatal crash on Aug. 12 in South Florida involving a truck driver from India who obtained his CDL in California despite failing to understand English. 

Florida Department of Transportation testing indicated he could not correctly identify three out of four road signs. The driver, Harjinder Singh, is now facing three counts of vehicular homicide. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) called the situation alarming. “They did an English test and he failed abysmally… not even close. But how ridiculous is it for someone to get a commercial driver’s license and not understand the language of this country and not understand road signs?” he said. 

The issue is not new. 

Eight years ago, Connor Dzion, a Creekside High School graduate, was killed in a truck crash caused by a driver who admitted under deposition that he could not read English, making it impossible to safely follow road signs. 

Connor’s mother, Mellissa Dzion, is now advocating for Connor’s Law, a federal bill aimed at preventing drivers who cannot read English from obtaining commercial licenses. 

The legislation currently has 14 sponsors, including Representative John Rutherford. 

Attorney Curry Pajcic, representing the Dzion family, emphasized the dangers posed by unqualified drivers.

“The people in big trucks… they are killers in crashes… and we in our Hyundais get killed and they walk away”, he said, adding that the recent arrests underline the urgent need for consistent federal standards to protect families on U.S. roads. 

Investigators also discovered multiple Jacksonville addresses listed for dozens of applicants, even though the homes were far too small to house them all, indicating the cheating operation was highly organized. 

DMV employees and law enforcement noticed suspicious behaviors, such as men shifting in their chairs to properly align hidden phone cameras, which helped expose the fraud, The Blaze reports.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that all truck agricultural inspection stations across the state will now serve as checkpoints to verify English proficiency and immigration status. 

Advocates of Connor’s Law argue that federal legislation is necessary to create consistent standards nationwide and prevent tragedies caused by drivers who cannot safely operate commercial vehicles. 

The investigation into CDL cheating continues statewide, and authorities warn that the Jacksonville arrests may be just the beginning of uncovering broader fraud. 

Supporters of Connor’s Law stress the importance of protecting families and children on U.S. highways by ensuring all commercial drivers meet basic language and safety requirements.

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