In a startling revelation, a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation has uncovered a network linked to the Chinese government that is aiding Chinese illegal immigrants in obtaining commercial drivers licenses (CDLs) and securing jobs within the U.S. trucking industry
The New York-based nonprofit trade organization, Chinese American Trucker Organization USA Inc. (CATOU), is at the heart of this operation. As reported by the Daily Caller, CATOU has allegedly assisted over 1,000 Chinese students in acquiring CDLs, boasting a 100% pass rate.
This information is based on the organization's business filings, social media posts, and website. Videos posted on social media by an individual who entered the U.S. illegally through the southern border reveal that they were able to swiftly secure California CDLs after attending courses led by CATOU instructors.
The potential public safety risks posed by truck drivers with unknown criminal backgrounds and driving records are further exacerbated by CATOU's board chairwoman, Geng Hang. Geng has held leadership roles in organizations functioning as extensions of the Chinese government and a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence and intelligence agency known as the United Front Work Department (UFWD), according to translations of announcements from these entities by the DCNF.
Steve Yates, a senior research fellow for China and national security policy at the Heritage Foundation, expressed his concerns to the DCNF, stating, No way American citizens voted for the California gateway for illegal migrants to operate heavy vehicles throughout America. That of itself is a public safety and homeland security concern.
He further emphasized the national security risks posed by a large CCP-tied network training, certifying, and placing 'their' illegal migrants throughout vital surface shipping routes.
Despite multiple attempts, CATOU and Geng have not responded to requests for comment.
Chinese social media posts reveal CATOU instructors teaching students about the trucking industry inside the New York office of Red Apple Employment Agency, another organization led by Geng. This agency assists Chinese nationals, both with and without proper status, in finding work for a fee of $80 to $100 per job placement, as reported by The Wall Street Journal in July 2024.
CATOU members have also been found teaching truck driving courses at 7 CDL Driving School in Manassas, Virginia. This driving school shares its address with a trucking company owned by Geng, Red Apple Enterprises Inc.
The account @tiange999, operated by a Chinese national who illegally crossed the U.S. southern border in June 2023, provides further insight into this operation. This account features videos detailing how the owner passed the CDL test at 7 CDL Driving School and obtained CDL qualification in less than two months.
The Trump administration has increased scrutiny of the trucking industry following a fatal crash in Florida in August 2025 involving an illegal immigrant truck driver with a California CDL. The driver, who reportedly did not speak English, has been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide.
Justin Martin, a 15-year trucking industry veteran, spoke to the DCNF about the issue, stating, These guys are already here, and theyre already operating, and it doesnt matter how many of these trucks you catch or how many of these drivers you shut down, theyre just going to get hired somewhere else until they start going after the companies and the owners of these companies and shutting them down and preventing them from coming back.
Geng, CATOU's chairwoman, has held official positions in multiple organizations advancing Chinese influence and intelligence efforts in the U.S. One such organization, the American Shaanxi General Chamber of Commerce (ASGCC), identifies Geng as its deputy chairwoman.
ASGCC operates as a branch of the Shaanxi provincial Department of Commerce and a sister association of a UFWD arm called the China Overseas Friendship Association (COFA).
Gord Magill, a truck industry writer, expressed his concerns to the DCNF, stating, We are slowly giving over our entire trucking industry to foreign actors. He further elaborated on the potential strategic advantage foreign actors could gain from understanding how U.S. transportation systems work, at the cost of American jobs and motorists safety.
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