- Two Indian men were arrested in Indiana for trafficking over 300 pounds of cocaine.
- Both suspects were living illegally in the US and held commercial driver’s licenses.
- ICE has placed arrest detainers to prevent their release.
- One suspect had been previously arrested but released despite a detainer.
- US officials blamed sanctuary policies for enabling serious drug trafficking crimes.
Two Indian nationals living illegally in the United States have been arrested by federal authorities for smuggling more than 300 pounds of cocaine inside a semi-truck, US officials said this week.
The suspects, identified as Gurpreet Singh, 25, and Jasveer Singh, 30, were taken into custody by local law enforcement in Putnam County, Indiana, on January 4 on charges related to narcotics trafficking. The arrests followed the discovery of a massive quantity of cocaine concealed inside a commercial truck they were operating.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged arrest detainers against both men to ensure they remain in custody and are not released back into the community. DHS confirmed that the two individuals had entered the United States illegally and were residing in the country without authorization.
According to the agency, more than 300 pounds of cocaine were recovered during the arrest. DHS emphasized the severity of the seizure, noting that a lethal dose of cocaine can be as little as 1.2 grams. “That amount is enough to kill more than 113,000 Americans,” the department said in a statement.
Despite their immigration status, both Gurpreet Singh and Jasveer Singh were issued commercial driver’s licenses by the state of California, allowing them to operate large freight vehicles across state lines. Federal officials sharply criticized the circumstances that allowed the men to obtain such licenses.
DHS said Gurpreet Singh illegally entered the United States on March 11, 2023, near Lukeville, Arizona. He was released into the country under policies in effect during the Biden administration. Authorities said he later admitted to law enforcement that he was an Indian citizen and was in the US illegally.
Jasveer Singh entered the country illegally earlier, on March 21, 2017, near Otay Mesa, California. DHS revealed that he had previously been arrested on December 5 last year in San Bernardino, California, for receiving stolen property. ICE had placed an arrest detainer at that time, but it was not honored, and Singh was released.
The department criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration, blaming the state’s sanctuary policies for the failure to hold the suspect in custody. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said those policies directly contributed to the situation.
“Thanks to Governor Newsom’s reckless policies, these two criminal illegal aliens were granted commercial driver’s licenses by the state of California and were arrested for trafficking a staggering 300 pounds of cocaine inside a semi-truck,” McLaughlin said.
She added that California officials had also refused to honor an ICE detainer on one of the suspects in December, allowing him to remain free until the Indiana arrest. “Sanctuary policies put American lives at risk,” McLaughlin said, stressing that ICE detainers are intended to prevent dangerous offenders from returning to American communities.
Federal authorities said the investigation remains ongoing, and further charges may follow.
