A trucking industry insider is warning about a deadly danger rampant on U.S. highways: unqualified, under-trained commercial truckers, many of whom are illegal immigrants and cannot read basic road signage.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Mike Kucharski, co-owner and vice president of Illinois-based JKC Trucking, issued an impassioned appeal for more investigations into the problem, saying, “This is just madness.”

“You wouldn’t put someone in a cockpit of a Boeing 737 flying from New York to California if they weren’t properly trained or couldn’t communicate clearly or speak English. The same standard should apply to our highways,” said Kucharski.

“Every day, truck drivers are driving alongside school buses, families and commuters just trying to get to work and back home safely,” he continued. “When unqualified drivers slip through the cracks, that creates risk for our motoring public, and you can see that there’s accidents all the time.”

CONSERVATIVE FIREBRAND LAUNCHES ‘TRUCKSAFE TIPLINE’ TO REPORT ILLEGAL DRIVERS AMID SPIKE IN HIGHWAY DEATHS

Ohio officials say the semitruck driver charged in the fiery I-71 crash that killed a young family of three fraudulently obtained an Ohio driver’s license and later a CDL under an alternate identity, and the case has now been referred to ICE. (Courtney Hergesheimer/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images | Facebook)

This week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into several commercial driving schools in the state for allegedly “endangering Texans by providing inadequate commercial driver training, including to non-English speakers.”

A statement by Paxton’s office said these practices violate federal law requiring basic English comprehension and Texas law mandating adequate training to operate a commercial vehicle.

Paxton’s investigation comes just months after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced his department had issued more than 550 notices of removal — decertification — to “sham CDL training schools” across the country. A statement by the DOT said the schools were found in violation of federal safety standards.

Speaking from inside the industry, Kucharski said that Duffy and Paxton are exactly right to crack down on the rampant CDL school abuse. He pointed to the ongoing spate of fatalities allegedly caused by individuals holding improperly issued CDLs.

In one recent case, Ohio officials revealed last week that Modou Ngom, a semi-truck driver charged in a fiery interstate crash that killed a young family of three, fraudulently obtained an Ohio driver’s license, a commercial driver’s license and later U.S. citizenship under an alternate identity.

Several months ago, in February, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Indiana arrested Bekzhan Beishekeev, an illegal alien semi-truck driver issued a commercial driver’s license by Pennsylvania. The Department of Homeland Security said that Beishekeev allegedly killed four people on Feb. 3, when he swerved into oncoming traffic and struck a van in a head-on collision.

In Oregon, ICE also recently arrested Indian illegal immigrant Rajinder Kumar, who is accused of jackknifing his semi-truck and trailer, blocking both lanes of traffic, causing a crash that killed a newlywed couple.

There have been several other high-profile traffic fatalities involving illegal immigrants and improperly issued CDLs that have rocked the nation in recent months.

“This is just madness what’s happening,” he said, adding, “It has to stop because the longer this continues, there’s going to be more accidents, more people that are going to perish.”

ICE ARRESTS 13 AFTER TIP ON TRUCK DRIVERS AT PENNSYLVANIA DMV SPARKS CHAOTIC SCENE

Left to right: Modou Ngom, Rajinder Kumar and Bekzhan Beishekeev. Background: The crash site on Indiana Highway 67 allegedly caused by Beishekeev. (Delaware County Jail; DHS; DHS)

Besides the danger posed to U.S. citizens on the roads, Kucharski said the abuse has been crushing the commercial trucking industry, and by extension, causing disruptions to the U.S. supply chain and impacting prices.

“This is an economic issue, not just a safety issue,” he emphasized. “When unqualified drivers get on the road, it doesn’t just increase risk, it drives up the insurance costs, which has already risen for all of us; our insurance keeps going up, lawsuits, ultimately prices for the consumers.”

Kucharski has previously blown the whistle on illegal immigrants carrying sanctuary state licenses, sending a “shockwave” through the industry by edging out qualified, legitimate American drivers who require higher salaries.

He explained that illegal immigrant truck drivers can exploit a “loophole” in the system by obtaining non-domiciled commercial drivers’ licenses from states such as California and New York. They are then able to outcompete legitimate trucking businesses by charging lower prices, leading to the demise of many American small businesses in the industry.

“All our truckers are fighting for the same load, and it goes to the lowest bidder,” he went on. “If you have these drivers coming in that are non-domiciled, they have no family here, they have no home, they live in their truck… They’re saying, ‘OK, look, all the market’s doing for $2,000, we’ll do it for $1,700.’ So, it’s putting small trucking businesses out of business every day.”

Regarding the CDL schools certifying unqualified drivers, Kucharski confirmed, saying, “They’re putting bad actors in there, and they’re causing chaos in the trucking industry.”

“It’s just a huge black eye to the trucking industry,” he said.

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JKC Trucking Vice President Mike Kucharski encouraged other trucking owners to “jump in and join the fight” against the abuse, which he referred to as an “abomination.” (Noah Berger/AP Photo)

“This investigation is absolutely necessary,” he continued. “It’s about protecting the American public and restoring trust in the industry.”

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He encouraged other trucking owners to “jump in and join the fight” against the abuse, which he referred to as an “abomination.”

“This driving school nightmare keeps me up at night,” he admitted. “Our job as owners is to educate everyone else that is not familiar, so we can come up with solutions together that keep the wheels rolling and the U.S. Economy roaring.“

Rhode Island lawmakers are back at it — pushing a sweeping gun ban that should set off alarm bells far beyond the Ocean State. Their latest proposal, SB 2710, would outlaw the possession of some of the most commonly owned firearms in America, targeting semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns that millions of law-abiding citizens rely on for self-defense, sport and tradition.

What makes this proposal especially alarming is not just what it bans, but how it leaves enforcement hanging in the air. The bill is conspicuously silent on how the state intends to deal with currently owned firearms that would suddenly become illegal overnight.

That silence is not reassuring. It opens the door to exactly the kind of heavy-handed enforcement Americans have long rejected — the forced surrender or even door-to-door confiscation of legally acquired property.

For those trying to comply with forced confiscation, the so-called “sales option” is no option at all. Lawful owners would be forced to sell their firearms to federally licensed dealers or qualified out-of-state buyers by the end of the year, triggering a rushed liquidation that will inevitably drive down prices.

VIRGINIA SENATORS WANT TO INFLICT THEIR TYRANNICAL GUN STRATEGY ON ENTIRE COUNTRY

The Rhode Island General Assembly is moving to ban not just the sale of many types of guns, but even possession. (Fox News)

If gun owners comply with this law, they would sell their property at a substantial loss, and if they want to rearm after the law is struck down, they would end up paying twice for a gun they already owned.

In plain terms, the government would be engineering a fire sale of constitutionally  conduct, stripping citizens not only of their rights but of their property value as well.

And if the potential of forcible confiscation were not enough, Rhode Island lawmakers are also advancing schemes to require gun owners to carry million-dollar liability insurance policies. This has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with cost. It is a calculated effort to price ordinary Americans out of exercising a constitutional right — turning the Second Amendment into a luxury good reserved for those who can afford to comply.

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We’ve seen this playbook before. Just last year Rhode Island banned the manufacture, sale and purchase of these firearms but allowed owners who previously acquired them to keep them. Now legislators want to finish the job — give gun control advocates an inch, and they take a mile, targeting commerce in firearms today and the firearm already in your safe tomorrow.

As detailed in reports from the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, including Rhode Island’s Senate Judiciary attack on the Second Amendment and extreme gun bill package, this coordinated push threatens every Ocean State gun owner — and sets a precedent that could ripple outward nationwide. The slippery slope is unmistakable, and it will spread, as do all ill-conceived gun control schemes, to other states that ignore the Constitution.

Anti-gun politicians understand they may someday lose in court. It was, after all, sweeping bans on handguns in Washington, D.C., and Chicago that ushered in the Supreme Court’s Second Amendment renaissance, and the reasoning of those cases applies equally well to common semi-automatic long guns Americans choose for defensive purposes.

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But for the firearm prohibitionist, the courtroom loss is beside the point. The process itself — passing the law, enforcing it until it’s struck down, and forcing taxpayers to foot the legal bill — is the strategy.

It drains resources from their opponents, chills lawful conduct, and advances their agenda by attrition. It also diverts attention from an endless succession of lesser infringements that seek the death of the Second Amendment by a thousand cuts.

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Meanwhile, the real-world impact falls on the very people whose gun ownership poses no threat to public safety: responsible gun owners who follow the law, safeguard their firearms, and take seriously their duty to protect themselves and their families. Disarming them does nothing to stop violent criminals, who, by definition, do not comply with gun bans. It simply leaves good people more vulnerable.

The Second Amendment does not change when you cross a state border. The right to defend oneself and one’s family is not dependent on a particular ZIP code, income level, or the shifting political winds in a state legislature.

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Yet that is exactly what Rhode Island lawmakers are trying to impose — a patchwork of rights where some Americans are treated as less deserving than others. Cases like these demand the Supreme Court settle them once and for all, as in Bruen and Heller. Until then, state capitols remain the battleground where Second Amendment rights hang by a thread.

Rhode Island may be small, but the implications of this legislation are anything but. This is a test case for how far lawmakers can go in dismantling a fundamental right — and how much Americans are willing to tolerate before pushing back. The 2026 midterms are coming. Voters in every state must remember which lawmakers treat the Second Amendment as optional — and hold them accountable at the ballot box this November.

China is developing AI-enabled robotic “wolf packs” designed to scout, supply and potentially support combat operations alongside troops in a future war — including a possible invasion of Taiwan — according to a new report.

The analysis from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) says Beijing is reshaping how wars can be fought by integrating artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous systems directly into frontline operations.

At the center of that effort are quadruped robots — often referred to in Chinese reporting as “robotic wolves” — that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is testing as part of its push toward what it calls “intelligentized warfare.”

While China has showcased robotic dogs in recent years, the report argues the People’s Liberation Army is moving beyond demonstrations and beginning to integrate these systems into coordinated battlefield units designed to operate at scale — particularly in high-risk scenarios such as the opening phase of a Taiwan invasion.

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FDD report warns China is preparing to reimagine warfare with its ‘robot wolf.’ (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

The report warns that a force built around expendable, networked machines could allow Chinese commanders to sustain offensive operations while reducing risks to personnel, potentially lowering the political and military costs of conflict for Beijing.

“China is not just modernizing its military,” the report states. “It is reimagining how future wars will be fought.” 

The U.S. military is also developing robotic and autonomous systems, though analysts say China’s ability to leverage its commercial technology sector could give it advantages in scaling production.

In testing and demonstrations cited in the report, the robotic systems are used primarily for reconnaissance and support roles, moving ahead of troops to map terrain, detect threats and carry supplies through hazardous areas. The quadrupeds can navigate difficult terrain, including stairs and debris-filled urban environments, and operate in coordinated groups to extend a unit’s reach.

Some Chinese reporting also depicts armed variants operating alongside troops and drones during simulated assaults, though many of these capabilities have not been independently verified.

“China is not just modernizing its military,” the report states. “It is reimagining how future wars will be fought.”  (Photo by Li Gang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

The report identifies a potential conflict over Taiwan as the most likely scenario for deploying the systems. 

An amphibious invasion would force Chinese forces to operate in dense urban terrain, contested coastal zones and degraded communications environments — conditions where unmanned systems could be used to clear routes, absorb initial losses and maintain momentum as troops push inland.

Despite the rapid development, the systems face limitations. They rely on communications links and battery power, making them vulnerable to jamming, cyber interference and logistical disruptions.

They are also susceptible to small arms fire and environmental conditions such as smoke or debris that can degrade sensors. The report notes that human operators remain in the loop for lethal decisions, limiting the systems’ autonomy in combat.

While China has showcased robotic dogs in recent years, the report argues the People’s Liberation Army is moving beyond demonstrations and beginning to integrate these systems into coordinated battlefield units designed to operate at scale.  (SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)

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The report calls on U.S. policymakers to prioritize countering China’s autonomous systems, including developing strategies to disrupt robotic platforms and strengthening domestic technology capabilities. Analysts warn that as unmanned systems become more integrated into combat operations, they could shape the pace, risk and outcome of future conflicts.