Headline: Secretary Duffy Announces Crackdown: Trucking Carriers and CDL School Face Federal Sanctions Following Deadly Indiana Crash Involving Illegal Driver
Washington, D.C. — In a sweeping response to the fatal February 3 crash in Jay County, Indiana, that claimed the lives of four Amish men, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has announced severe accountability measures targeting the trucking entities responsible. The crash, caused by a semi-truck driven by an undocumented Kyrgyzstani national, has exposed a network of “chameleon carriers” and fraudulent training practices, prompting an immediate federal crackdown.
The Incident and Immediate Fallout
On the afternoon of February 3, 2026, 30-year-old Bekzhan Beishekeev was operating a 2022 Freightliner eastbound on State Road 67 when he failed to brake for slowed traffic. Beishekeev swerved into the opposing lane, colliding head-on with a van carrying workers from the local Amish community. The crash killed Henry Eicher (50), his sons Menno (25) and Paul (19), and family friend Simon Girod (23).
Beishekeev, a Kyrgyzstani national who entered the U.S. via the Biden administration’s CBP One app in 2023, was arrested and is currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials confirmed his illegal status, noting that despite this, he obtained a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) from the state of Pennsylvania.
Federal Action: Carriers and Schools Targeted
Secretary Duffy announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have launched a high-priority investigation into the entities enabling Beishekeev’s operation.
Carrier Accountability: Federal investigators have zeroed in on AJ Partners, the carrier listed on the truck, as well as Sam Express Corp, an Illinois-based operation suspected of being the hub of a “chameleon carrier” network. These networks illicitly shift operations, trucks, and drivers between various shell companies to evade safety regulations and out-of-service orders. Secretary Duffy described the operation as having “all the markings of fraud,” utilizing complex corporate structures to hide safety violations.
Training Pipeline Sanctions: The investigation has widened to the “CDL mills” that certify unqualified drivers. As part of a broader initiative to secure the licensing pipeline, the DOT has moved to sanction training providers found to be non-compliant. While the specific Pennsylvania school attended by Beishekeev remains under federal scrutiny, the DOT has already taken action in similar cases, recently removing Premier Trucking School (California) from its national registry and effectively shutting it down for regulatory violations, signaling a zero-tolerance policy for substandard training facilities.
“We are peeling back the layers of this onion,” Secretary Duffy stated. “If you are a carrier cutting corners or a school selling licenses to individuals who cannot read road signs or drive safely, we will find you, and we will shut you down.”
Objections and Political Standoff
The crackdown has sparked a heated exchange between federal agencies and state officials regarding liability.
State Defense: The office of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has pushed back against allegations of negligence. A spokesperson for the Governor stated that at the time Beishekeev was issued his CDL in July 2025, he had “legal status” verified through the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database. They argue the state followed all federal protocols available at the time and that the failure lies with federal immigration data management, not state licensing procedures.
Industry Defense: Legal representatives for trucking networks often argue that “chameleon carrier” allegations can be difficult to prove, asserting that business restructuring is a standard corporate practice rather than an evasion tactic. Furthermore, industry stakeholders have raised concerns that rapid shutdowns of schools and carriers could disrupt legitimate supply chains and that the vetting of foreign national drivers is complicated by inconsistent federal databases.
Background and Context
This incident serves as a grim focal point for Operation SafeDRIVE, a recent federal initiative aimed at removing unqualified drivers from the road. The program has already resulted in thousands of inspections and hundreds of out-of-service orders for drivers unable to meet English proficiency requirements—a federal mandate for commercial drivers often ignored by “CDL mills.”
The “chameleon carrier” phenomenon remains a persistent plague on the industry. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has reported that these reincarnated carriers are three times more likely to be involved in severe crashes than legitimate operators. By constantly obtaining new Department of Transportation (DOT) numbers, these companies wipe their safety slates clean, allowing them to continue operating dangerous equipment and employing unvetted drivers like Beishekeev.
As the investigation continues, Beishekeev remains in federal custody pending immigration proceedings, while the families in Bryant, Indiana, mourn the loss of four members of their community.
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