Indiana State Police said they found over 300 pounds of cocaine hidden inside a semi-truck in a traffic stop southwest of Indianapolis, on Interstate-70 (I-70) in Putnam County. The cocaine is reportedly worth $7 million.
Two Punjabi-origin Indian illegal immigrants were apprehended by the U.S. Immigrations and Customs (ICE) after being arrested for this. The two individuals have been identified as Gurpreet Singh, 25, of Fresno, California and Jasveer Singh, 30, of Santa Clara, California. The police said the truck was traveling from Joplin, Missouri to Richmond, Indiana.
“On January 4 this year, ICE lodged detainers Gurpreet Singh (25) and Jasveer Singh (30), criminal illegal aliens from India, following their arrest by local authorities in Putnam County, Indiana, for narcotics trafficking,” stated the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Both individuals were given commercial driver’s licenses issued by the state of California.
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Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, “These two criminal illegal aliens were granted commercial drivers’ licenses by the state of California and were arrested for trafficking a whopping 300 pounds of cocaine inside a semi-truck. Sanctuary policies put American lives at risk. ICE law enforcement lodged detainers to ensure these drug traffickers are not allowed back into American communities.”
The DHS also stated that Gurpreet Singh illegally entered the United States on March 11, 2023, near Lukeville, Arizona, and accessed the country under the Biden administration. He admitted to law enforcement that he was a citizen of India staying illegally in America. Meanwhile, Jasveer Singh illegally entered the U.S. on March 21, 2017, near Otay Mesa, California. He was arrested on Dec. 5, 2025, for receiving stolen property in San Bernardino, California.
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“Due to Governor Newsom’s sanctuary policies, the detainer was not honored, and this criminal illegal alien was released back into American communities,” DHS stated and added that Indiana seizure highlights the use of commercial trucking routes by drug trafficking networks.
The case brought attention to concerns around commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued in California. In recent years, several foreign-origin truck drivers with California-issued CDLs have been linked to serious crimes. The issue gained prominence after a fatal accident in Florida in August 2025 involving an illegal immigrant from India who held a CDL issued in California.
Following that incident, the Trump administration had set a Jan. 5 deadline for California to take action against thousands of immigrants who had obtained such licenses. However, the deadline was extended to March.
The incident also renews debates over illegal immigration, a key area of focus for the Trump administration.