Sanctuary Cops Release Illegal Immigrant Trucker Accused Of Causing Major Pileup In Washington

Sanctuary authorities set free a twice-deported illegal immigrant with a rap sheet who allegedly caused a six-car pileup involving a school bus in Washington state last week, The Daily Wire has learned.

Mexican illegal immigrant Juan Hernandez-Santos, 40, allegedly lost control of his semi-truck and jackknifed into traffic in Lacey, Washington, last Thursday, sending four people to the hospital, according to authorities. The illegal immigrant already had a lengthy rap sheet of DUIs and other concerning offenses before the crash occurred.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer with local authorities in Washington, who ignored their request and set the illegal immigrant free, the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire.

Here’s a look at the crash on I-5 NB that has all lanes blocked near Martin Way in @CityofLacey. We expect this to be a lengthy incident. Use alternate routes until we’re able to clear the scene. Real time travel info at https://t.co/HUGa1WTJfY pic.twitter.com/ndasvBq9gz

— WSDOT Tacoma (@wsdot_tacoma) December 4, 2025

“This dangerous illegal alien has a criminal history including multiple DUIs, possessing a controlled substance, and two prior removals from the U.S. He was a walking public safety threat and illegally was driving an 18-wheeler when he caused a six car pile-up involving a school bus on the highway in Washington,” Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement shared with The Daily Wire.

“Thankfully, no children were in the bus. This story could have had a very different tragic ending. The sanctuary politicians in Washington failed once again to protect American citizens by refusing to honor our ICE arrest detainer,” she said.

Hernandez-Santos was first deported in 2005 and again in 2006, DHS said. He later snuck back into the United States undetected.

The Mexican national was arrested in 2008 in Los Angeles for driving without a license and then a month later for a DUI and hit-and-run with property damage, according to DHS.

He was charged with possession of a controlled substance in 2018 before being arrested in 2020 in Los Angeles for his second DUI, DHS said.

The illegal immigrant behind the wheel didn’t have a commercial driver’s license, insurance, or a valid medical card, authorities said.

“In this situation, there is a lot of negligence involved,” State Trooper Kameron Watts said in a statement. “We actually dispatched some commercial vehicle enforcement officers to the scene to do a full-blown inspection of the truck itself and the paperwork all semi-truck drivers are supposed to have on them.”

Several recent crashes, some fatal, involving illegal immigrants driving trucks, have sparked a national crackdown.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has assisted local authorities in several states to pull over and detain illegal immigrant truckers driving through weigh stations as part of the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation is threatening to withhold federal funding to Democratic-run states that hand out commercial driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. The agency has also instituted stricter requirements, including mandatory English language training.