Federal immigration authorities in Florida arrested a Cuban national holding an expired commercial driver’s license following a prior removal order, the Department of Homeland Security announced.
Homeland Security Investigations agents in Jacksonville took Jose Carlos Valdivia-Vera into custody on August 6. According to federal officials, Valdivia-Vera entered the United States unlawfully at an unknown time and location and had previously received a final order of removal from a Department of Justice immigration judge.
At the time of his arrest, he possessed a temporary one-year commercial driver’s license that had expired on June 6.
“Every time an illegal alien is behind the wheel of a semi-truck, they are putting countless American lives in danger,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement.
“Thanks to the hard work of the men and women of ICE law enforcement, this criminal illegal alien from Cuba who had a commercial driver’s license is off our roadways. He will be removed from our country and will not be able to endanger innocent lives on our streets. We will relentlessly pursue any and all illegal alien truck drivers and the companies that employ them.”
The arrest forms part of an ongoing multi-agency initiative targeting commercial driver licensing violations across the country.
Earlier this month, DHS and the Department of Transportation conducted the second phase of Operation Highway Shield, a three-day nationwide joint enforcement action that resulted in the removal of over 800 drivers from commercial roadways, including 51 foreign nationals residing in the country without legal status.
Federal agencies have increased scrutiny on commercial driving operations over the past year. In July, DHS and DOT established a joint task force to examine licensing schools, following an October 2025 joint operation with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol that resulted in 120 arrests, including 91 individuals operating commercial motor vehicles.
READ: Nicaraguan Man Charged With Florida Machete Murder Of Roommate As ICE Lodges Detainer
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