Pennsylvania Governor Defends CDL Procedures After Uzbek Driver Arrest

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has commented after it emerged that Uzbek national Akhror Bozorov, wanted in his home country for promoting jihadist content, had obtained a commercial driver’s licence (CDL) in the state.

Shapiro explained that the state had followed standard federal checks through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database. He said Pennsylvania had no reason to deny Bozorov’s application because the federal database did not indicate he was wanted.

«We checked the federal database months ago, when this individual received his CDL, and he was authorized to get it by the federal database,» Shapiro said Wednesday during a media Q&A. «Ironically, we went and checked the database yesterday (Tuesday) — he’s still qualified to get a CDL.»

Bozorov, 31, was arrested on November 9 in Kansas, where he was working as a truck driver. Uzbekistan accuses him of distributing online materials calling for jihad and recruiting supporters. An arrest warrant was issued in 2022.

Following the arrest, Pennsylvania authorities launched a review of procedures for issuing commercial licences to non-citizens and called on federal agencies to update and strengthen data-sharing systems.

Kursiv also reports that the United States Department of Transportation has cautioned Pennsylvania authorities that the state may forfeit nearly $75 mln in federal funding due to this case.