From Canada to Clinton County: US charges 22-year-old Indian over cross-border migrant smuggling

A federal grand jury in the Northern District of New York returned an indictment Wednesday charging him for his role in the scheme.

• Indian national charged with smuggling people from Canada to US via NY border
• Shivam faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted on all smuggling charges
• WhatsApp messages exposed coordination of illegal border crossings, safe houses.

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A 22-year-old citizen of India has been indicted here for his role in a scheme to smuggle Indian nationals from Canada across the northern border into the United States.

Shivam, whose last name is not known, is charged with one count of conspiracy to illegally bring aliens to the United States and four counts of illegally bringing aliens to the United States for the purpose of private financial gain.

A federal grand jury in the Northern District of New York returned an indictment Wednesday charging him for his role in the scheme.

According to court documents, Shivam directed smuggling operations from January through June 2025, coordinating the illegal transport of individuals across the US-Canada border into Clinton County, New York.

In January 2025, US Border Patrol agents attempted to stop two vehicles traveling in tandem near the US-Canada border. Both vehicles accelerated to avoid agents, triggering a pursuit.

One vehicle went off the road and became immobilized, while the other was later stopped in Mooers, New York.

The vehicles contained a total of 12 undocumented persons.

WhatsApp messages between one of the drivers and a number connected to Shivam allegedly revealed coordination of smuggling illegal persons into the US from Canada on numerous occasions in and prior to January 2025, including exchanging proof of life photographs and directions to safe houses in upstate New York, the Justice Department said in a statement.

If convicted, Shivam faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count. If convicted of all four counts of illegally bringing people to the United States, Shivam faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of fifteen years. He was initially charged by criminal complaint in June last year with one count of conspiracy to transport individuals illegally.