OHP, ICE Conduct Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Along I-35 in Kay County

Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers, in partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, are leading a large-scale enforcement operation along the Interstate 35 corridor in Kay County this week as part of the ongoing Operation Guardian initiative.

The law agencies were present in and around the Blackwell area on Wednesday morning, January 14. 

According to a recent Fox 25 article, the effort is focused on commercial vehicle enforcement and includes actions to identify and arrest undocumented individuals, especially those operating commercial motor vehicles. Troopers and ICE personnel have been stationed at multiple points along I-35, including the weigh station at the Kansas-Oklahoma border.

Operation Guardian was announced by Governor Kevin Stitt last year as a coordinated push between state and federal authorities to enhance enforcement of immigration laws and improve commercial vehicle safety.

During a previous sweep in November, law enforcement officials reported 76 arrests for immigration violations as part of the initiative. In that operation, troopers also stopped and inspected 160 commercial vehicles, issuing citations to seven drivers for failing to meet the national English language proficiency requirements mandated for commercial drivers.

The English language requirement for commercial motor vehicle drivers was announced in June by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and has since been incorporated into enforcement actions.

In addition to immigration arrests last November, authorities arrested two individuals near the Texas-Oklahoma border on allegations of trafficking about 160 pounds of marijuana during that sweep.

Fox 25 also noted another Operation Guardian enforcement in November along Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma, which resulted in 70 arrests, including 34 involving commercial vehicle operators.

Officials have not yet released detailed arrest or inspection numbers from the current Kay County operation.

Source: Fox 25 (KOKH), “OHP and ICE conducting ‘Operation Guardian’ sweep in northern part of the state,” January 14, 2026.