$1.6M Cargo Theft Exposes Major Flaws in California CDL Vetting for Non-Citizens

A massive $1.6 million cargo theft involving stolen electronics has revealed alarming loopholes in California’s Commercial Driver's License (CDL) process for non-citizens. One of the drivers arrested had a CDL listing their first name as “No Name Given” — raising serious questions about the identity verification standards used by the California DMV.

Authorities traced the stolen load across multiple states, ultimately arresting three individuals — two of whom were in the U.S. illegally. This incident has reignited debate over California’s CDL policies, including the issuance of licenses without tracking immigration status and the acceptance of broad documentation types.