Federal prosecutors announced charges against 37 defendants and law enforcement executed a coordinated international operation that resulted in multiple arrests and major seizures tied to an alleged organized-crime network based in India.
Wide-reaching operation and seizures
Authorities arrested 24 people during the sweep, including 11 in California and one in Sacramento, the Justice Department said. Agents executed more than 50 search warrants and reported the seizure of about 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, roughly a dozen firearms and $40,000 in cash.
| Metric | Reported amount |
|---|---|
| Defendants charged | 37 |
| Arrests made | 24 |
| Cocaine seized | ~1,000 kg |
| Firearms seized | ~12 |
| Cash seized | $40,000 |
Allegations link prison-based leaders to violence abroad
Prosecutors allege key figures in the network operated under the direction of jailed gang leaders in India, who used contraband cellphones and encrypted applications to run murder, extortion and drug-trafficking schemes from behind bars. The indictments explicitly connect leadership figures to the 2023 slaying of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, marking the first public assertion by U.S. authorities of such a link.
Canada previously said India’s government ordered the killing, and the new U.S. allegations name jailed gang boss Lawrence Bishnoi as tied to the assassination.
The filings describe other alleged international conduct: bosses identified as Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria are accused of directing criminal activity and using their overseas reach to press demands and carry out violence against targets abroad.
Community impact and policy debate
The episode has drawn attention from lawmakers and community members. Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, D-Delano, publicly thanked the FBI’s efforts while criticizing California Gov. Gavin Newsom for vetoing a measure — SB 509 — that would have provided training to recognize transnational repression. The legislation had passed the Assembly unanimously in 2025.
Experts on state-backed or politically motivated transnational coercion said the case underscores how some governments have leveraged criminal groups for broader aims. Dan Stanton, a former Canadian intelligence officer who has studied transnational repression, said state actors such as Iran and India have at times supported organized crime for political objectives. Canada designated the Bishnoi group a terrorist entity in September 2025.
Local accounts and alleged extortion
In California, some small-business owners described enduring threats and violence they attribute to the network’s reach. One restaurant owner in Madera reported being shot at after receiving extortion demands that referenced Bishnoi ties and said a relative in India was killed days after the first attack. Prosecutors say the indictments reflect a pattern of using threats and violence to extort money from expatriate communities.
- 24 arrests across the U.S., Canada and Spain as part of the operation.
- Indictments allege prison-based gang leaders orchestrated crimes via contraband phones.
- Prosecutors linked the network to the 2023 killing of a Sikh leader in Canada.
Federal authorities have not released full affidavits or a timeline for additional charges and court appearances. The matter highlights intersections of transnational crime, political violence and the challenges communities face when alleged criminal networks operate across borders.
Further proceedings in U.S. courts are expected as prosecutors and agents continue to detail evidence gathered during the multi-jurisdictional investigation.
