Suspect accused of causing massive fatal pileup was illegal immigrant who obtained CDL in New York: feds

Federal officials announced Wednesday that the suspect accused of causing a massive fatal pileup in Tennessee last week was an illegal immigrant who obtained a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in the "sanctuary state" of New York.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) said the suspect, 54-year-old Yisong Huang, illegally entered the country from Mexico in 2023. Officials added that Huang, who reportedly could not speak English, was released under the Biden administration and provided work authorization papers.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has previously warned that illegal immigrants are obtaining commercial driver’s licenses (CDL), said this incident represents yet another example.

"It’s not just that Joe Biden let millions of migrants flood into our country illegally," Duffy said in a statement Wednesday. "His administration doled out the documentation these unqualified foreign drivers needed to obtain trucking licenses and operate 40-ton missiles on the highway. The fact that this individual failed a basic English test also calls into question how he even got the license in the first place."

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CAUGHT DRIVING COMMERCIAL TRUCK WITH VALID NEW YORK CDL AT CALIFORNIA CHECKPOINT

Investigators reported that, on Dec. 9, Huang was driving an empty bus on a major highway when he became "distracted by a video on his phone." 

The New York Post reported Huang was operating a tour bus. He allegedly rear-ended a tractor-trailer and triggered a chain-reaction crash that led to two injuries and the death of one American citizen, Kerry Smith, according to officials. 

Huang was later arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.  

Huang entered the U.S. illegally two years ago, according to the DHS. Officials said he admitted to Border Patrol agents that he was a Chinese national but was later released and given work authorization papers and a Social Security card. This allowed Huang to get a Class B CDL, a process that ultimately led to the deadly multi-vehicle crash, the agency alleges.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCK DRIVER IN FATAL CALIFORNIA CRASH SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAD LICENSE: DOT REPORT  

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles told Fox News Digital Wednesday that Huang’s license was issued on April 11, 2025, and that he presented all the proper federal documents to obtain one. His papers established a "lawful presence" until July 15, 2029, the agency said. 

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement on Tuesday, "Far too many innocent Americans have been killed by illegal aliens driving semitrucks and big rigs. And yet, sanctuary states around the country have been issuing illegal aliens commercial driver’s licenses. The Trump Administration is ending the chaos. The brave men and women of ICE are working nonstop to get criminal illegal aliens out of our communities and off our roads."

Duffy announced Friday that a nationwide audit found more than 50% of New York’s non-domiciled trucking licenses — commercial licenses issued to non-legal residents of the state — were issued illegally.

According to Duffy, the state DMV "has been routinely issuing CDLs to foreign drivers illegally. The federal audit exposed a shocking 53% failure rate in the records sampled, indicating a total collapse in the administration of New York’s CDL program."

In response, New York State DMV spokesperson Walter McClure said Friday, "Secretary Duffy is lying about New York State once again in a desperate attempt to distract from the failing, chaotic administration he represents. 

"Here is the truth: Commercial drivers Licenses are regulated by the Federal Government, and New York State DMV has, and will continue to, comply with federal rules.  Every CDL we issue is subject to verification of an applicant's lawful status through federally-issued documents reviewed in accordance with federal regulations. This is just another stunt from Secretary Duffy, and it does nothing to keep our roads safer. We will review USDOT’s letter and respond accordingly."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee DOT for more information.