Investigators allege the operation relied on drivers traveling in tandem and communication over WhatsApp to guide illegal immigrants across the region and into “safe houses” after entry.
A federal grand jury in the Northern District of New York has indicted a 22-year-old Indian national accused of directing a cross-border smuggling operation that allegedly moved Indian nationals from Canada into the United States through upstate New York.
Court documents say Shivam Lnu coordinated the scheme from January through June 2025, arranging transportation and logistics for people illegally crossing the US-Canada border into Clinton County. Investigators allege the operation relied on drivers traveling in tandem and communication over WhatsApp to guide illegal immigrants across the region and into “safe houses” after entry.
The indictment outlines one incident on Jan. 26, 2025, when US Border Patrol agents tried to stop two vehicles near the northern border. Authorities say both vehicles sped up to evade agents, prompting a pursuit. One vehicle reportedly left the roadway and became immobilized, while the second was later stopped in Mooers, New York. Agents found 12 undocumented immigrants inside the two vehicles.
Prosecutors say messages recovered from WhatsApp tied one of the drivers to a phone number allegedly connected to Shivam. The communications, authorities claim, showed coordination on multiple occasions, including the exchange of “proof of life” photographs and directions for moving people to locations in upstate New York.
Shivam is charged with one count of conspiracy to illegally bring people into the United States and four counts of illegally bringing people into the country for private financial gain. Prosecutors say each count carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison. If convicted on all four smuggling-for-profit counts, the case carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 15 years.
The government also noted Shivam was initially charged by criminal complaint on June 13, 2025, in a related case, accusing him of conspiracy to transport illegal immigrants. Officials said the prosecution is being pursued as part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at intensifying enforcement against illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.
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