Fatal oversight: New Mexico failed to enforce law, now 3 are dead

The U.S. Department of Transportation is blasting multiple states, including New Mexico, for failing to follow federal trucking rules that could have prevented a deadly crash in Florida earlier this month. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced Tuesday that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has launched a full investigation into the crash, which killed three people, and preliminary findings directly implicate New Mexico.

“This cannot happen again,” Duffy said, calling the tragedy a direct result of state negligence. “If states had followed the rules, this driver would never have been behind the wheel and three precious lives would still be with us. The failures here are despicable.”

The crash involved a driver working for White Hawk Carriers, Inc. According to FMCSA investigators, the driver did not speak English and failed a federally required English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment. Out of 12 verbal questions, he answered only two correctly and could identify just one of four highway traffic signs.

Despite these deficiencies, the driver managed to secure licenses in three different states. Washington State improperly issued him a full-term Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) in 2023, even though asylum seekers and illegal aliens are not eligible. California later issued a limited-term CDL in 2024, which is now under federal review.

But perhaps most troubling, New Mexico State Police stopped the driver on July 3, 2025, for speeding. During that roadside inspection, officers issued a ticket but did not administer the English proficiency assessment — even though federal rules requiring ELP enforcement as an “out-of-service” condition had already been in effect since June 25.

“New Mexico failed to conduct an English Language Proficiency test when they pulled the driver over for speeding,” Duffy explained. “Had they done this, the driver would not have been on the road.”

The Secretary described the situation as a consequence of “non-enforcement and radical immigration policies” that have allowed unqualified foreign drivers to get behind the wheel of 40-ton vehicles. He vowed to hold states accountable and restore road safety.

FMCSA investigators began their compliance review of White Hawk Carriers on August 14 at the company’s California premises. They examined driver qualification files, reviewed in-cab video footage of the crash, and interviewed company personnel. The Department is also assisting Florida authorities in their ongoing criminal case.

Duffy emphasized that President Trump’s administration has already taken decisive steps to tighten standards, including ordering mandatory English proficiency for truck drivers and launching a nationwide audit of how states issue non-domiciled CDLs. “President Trump and I will restore safety to our roads. The families of the deceased deserve justice,” Duffy said.

As the investigation unfolds, one fact is clear: had New Mexico enforced existing federal rules during its July traffic stop, the driver would have been pulled off the road — and three innocent lives in Florida might have been spared.