Texas Border Business
LAREDO, Texas – Laredo Sector Border Patrol Texas Hold’Em Initiative cancels over 800 Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) since its inception in 2008.
Laredo Sector has cancelled 808 CDLs since the initiative’s inception. Of the 808 cancellations, 605 have been cancelled due to human smuggling cases, and 203 to narcotic smuggling cases. During the 2022 fiscal year, a total of 45 cancellations were submitted and cancelled in cooperation with the Department of Public Safety.
The Texas Hold’ Em initiative uses existing state laws to permanently revoke the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) of any person who is convicted of felony smuggling transportation charges while operating a commercial motor vehicle. An increase in communication and shared information between law enforcement agencies and transportation stakeholders has proven to be a great success for the program.
Border Patrol agents assigned to the program conduct educational outreach to the transportation industry, freight forwarding agencies, custom brokers, and commercial drivers on a weekly basis. The educational outreach presentations consist of awareness and education which outlines the dangers of human and narcotic smuggling.
The Texas Hold’Em Initiative launched in June 2008, as a joint multi-agency enforcement effort between the Texas Department of Public Safety and the United States Border Patrol to improve border security by implementing consequences on commercial drivers convicted of human and/or narcotic smuggling.
For more information on the Texas Hold ‘Em initiative you can visit: texasholdeminitiativepage4.pdf. An overview of the Texas Hold’Em Initiative is available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/3T9FN_6yJJc .
U.S. Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol while remaining anonymous by calling 1-800-343-1994.
