Two Indian-origin men from California Gurpreet Singh and Jasveer Singh have been arrested in the United States for allegedly transporting a large quantity of cocaine in a semi-truck. Both men were taken into custody by Indiana State Police after a routine vehicle inspection led to a major drug seizure.
Gurpreet Singh is 25 years old and lives in Fresno, California. Jasveer Singh is 30 years old and is from Santa Clara, California. The two were travelling together in a semi tractor-trailer at the time of the arrest.
Why and how were they arrested?
The arrest took place on Saturday afternoon around 1:30 pm on eastbound Interstate 70 near the 41-mile marker in Indiana. An Indiana State Police trooper stopped the semi-truck for a routine transport department compliance inspection. There were prior tip-offs indicating the truck could be carrying drugs. During the inspection, a K-9 unit alerted officers, which led to a detailed search of the vehicle.
During the search, officers found more than 300 pounds of cocaine hidden inside the sleeper berth of the semi-truck. The total weight of the drugs was around 309 pounds, and authorities estimated the value of the cocaine at about $7 million. The truck was travelling from Joplin, Missouri, and was headed toward Richmond, Indiana.
Arrest and charges
Following the discovery, both were arrested and taken to the Putnam County Jail. They have been charged with dealing narcotics, which is classified as a Level 2 felony under Indiana law. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also placed deportation holds on both men. The stop, search, and seizure were carried out by a full-time interdiction trooper from the Drug Enforcement Section of the Indiana State Police. The case is now under further investigation.
The case has once again brought attention to concerns around commercial driver’s licenses 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 January 5 deadline for California to take action against thousands of immigrants who had obtained such licenses. However, the state later delayed the cancellations until March.