India, Jan. 8 -- A routine highway inspection in the US state of Indiana has exposed a major drug trafficking operation, leading to the arrest of two Indian-origin truck drivers after authorities recovered more than 300 pounds of cocaine hidden inside their semi-truck.

The incident has not only raised alarms over drug smuggling routes using commercial vehicles. It has also sparked a fresh political debate around immigration enforcement, sanctuary policies, and the issuing of commercial driving licenses in the United States.

Local authorities in Putnam County, Indiana, stopped a semi-truck for a routine inspection earlier this month. What began as a standard safety check quickly escalated after officers discovered suspicious indicators d...