A federal grand jury has indicted an Indian national for alleged involvement in smuggling immigrants into the United States from Canada. The indictment, returned on January 28, charges 22-year-old Shivam Lnu with managing operations that reportedly transported Indian nationals across the northern border into Clinton County, New York, between January 2025 and June 2025, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The case emerged on January 26, 2025, when U.S. Border Patrol agents pursued two vehicles near the U.S.-Canada border. The pursuit ended with one vehicle disabled and the other stopped in Mooers, New York, with both carrying a total of 12 undocumented immigrants. WhatsApp messages reportedly connected one of the drivers to Shivam Lnu, showing coordination of multiple smuggling attempts, including sharing photos to confirm the immigrants’ safety and instructions for reaching safe houses in upstate New York.
Lnu is charged with one count of conspiracy to illegally bring immigrants into the United States and four counts of transporting immigrants for financial gain. If convicted on all charges, the maximum penalty could be 10 years in prison per count, with a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 15 years for the four counts of illegal transport, according to the indictment.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva, Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III, and Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan issued a statement highlighting the risks of human smuggling and Lnu’s alleged role as a manager in an international operation. Keegan noted the potential threats to national security and public safety posed by such activities, while Sarcone emphasized efforts to hold all involved parties accountable in the Northern District of New York.
The investigation and prosecution of the case involve support from Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which focuses on human smuggling and trafficking by cartels and transnational criminal organizations. The case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration and related criminal activity. To date, the initiative has led to more than 435 arrests, over 385 U.S. convictions, substantial sentences, and asset forfeitures, as part of a broader effort against human smuggling and organized crime.
HSI’s Rouses Point office and the U.S. Border Patrol Burke Station are leading the investigation, with assistance from multiple federal agencies and departments. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt of the Northern District of New York. The indictment represents allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
