Two Indian-origin truck drivers have been arrested in the United States after a routine traffic stop in the state of Indiana uncovered a massive haul of cocaine valued at roughly USD 7 million. What began as a standard compliance check by state police has since escalated into a high-profile case touching on drug trafficking, illegal immigration, commercial driving licences, and tensions between federal authorities and the state of California over enforcement policies.
According to a report by Fox59, the seizure took place on Interstate 70 in Putnam County when troopers from the Indiana State Police stopped a semi-tractor trailer for a Department of Transportation inspection. The truck was being driven by Gurpreet Singh, 25, a resident of Fresno, California, and Jasveer Singh, 30, from Santa Clara, California. Authorities identified both men as being of Indian origin.
During the stop, officers observed what they described as multiple indicators of possible criminal activity. Court records cited by Fox59 state that the vehicle was struggling to remain within marked lanes, with the trailer repeatedly drifting to the right. Officers also noted a defective rear impact guard, which further justified a closer inspection. These observations prompted police to initiate a search of the vehicle.
Initially, the drivers consented to a search but later withdrew that consent. At that point, officers deployed a sniffer dog from Indiana State Police to conduct a free-air sniff around the truck. The dog alerted officers to the presence of narcotics, providing legal grounds for a more thorough search. Inside the sleeper berth of the truck, police discovered numerous cardboard boxes concealed under a blanket, a method commonly used by drug traffickers to hide contraband.
The search ultimately led to the recovery of approximately 309 pounds of cocaine, with authorities estimating its street value at around USD 7 million. Both men were immediately taken into custody and transported to the Putnam County Jail. They now face preliminary charges of dealing narcotics, classified as a Level 2 felony under Indiana law.
The case took on a broader national dimension after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement revealing that both men were allegedly in the United States illegally. DHS said Gurpreet Singh entered the US unlawfully on March 11, 2023, near Lukeville, Arizona, and was later released into the country. Officials said he admitted to law enforcement that he was an Indian citizen living in the US without legal status.
According to DHS, Jasveer Singh entered the United States illegally on March 21, 2017, near California. He had also been arrested previously in December 2025 in San Bernardino on charges of receiving stolen property. DHS claimed that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer lodged against him at the time was not honoured. Following the Indiana arrest, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed deportation holds on both men.
Federal officials emphasised the scale of the seizure, stating that the quantity of cocaine recovered was enough to kill more than 113,000 Americans. DHS used this figure to underline the seriousness of the alleged trafficking operation and its potential impact amid the ongoing drug crisis in the United States.
The arrests quickly became politically charged. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin blamed California’s policies, arguing that the state had issued commercial driver licences to individuals who were in the country illegally. She said that what she described as “sanctuary policies” had put American lives at risk and criticised California Governor Gavin Newsom for refusing to honour immigration detainers in the past.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun praised the state police for the seizure, reiterating Indiana’s zero-tolerance stance on drug trafficking. State police officials said the bust was part of sustained efforts to intercept narcotics moving along major interstate corridors, which are frequently used for large-scale drug transportation.
The incident has also drawn renewed attention to California’s commercial driver licence system. According to Reuters, the US Department of Transportation recently withheld USD 160 million in federal funding from California after an audit found that more than 17,000 commercial licences issued to non-US citizens were improperly granted, with over a quarter deemed unlawful.
California officials have disputed the findings and warned that cutting transportation funds could harm public safety. Democratic Congressman John Garamendi criticised the funding freeze, calling it politically motivated. The California Department of Motor Vehicles has said it complies with both state and federal laws and strongly disagrees with the decision to withhold funding.
Federal authorities have pushed back against California’s position. Derek Barrs, head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, said the federal government would not accept corrective plans that leave non-compliant drivers operating heavy commercial vehicles in violation of safety regulations.
The controversy unfolds against the backdrop of a wider US drug epidemic. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported in 2024 that around 4.3 million Americans used cocaine, much of which is trafficked from countries such as Colombia. At the same time, immigrant truck drivers, including those from the Sikh-Indian community, have played a significant role in easing labour shortages in the US trucking industry, particularly in California.
However, a series of high-profile accidents and enforcement cases involving immigrant drivers has led to increased scrutiny. In November last year, the Associated Press reported that Governor Gavin Newsom announced the revocation of licences held by around 17,000 immigrant truckers whose permits extended beyond their authorised stay in the United States.
As investigations continue, the Indiana cocaine seizure has become a focal point in a much larger debate over border enforcement, state-federal relations, immigration policy, and the regulation of the US trucking industry.
