WASHINGTON (The Thursday Times) — The FBI has confirmed the capture of Nitish Kaushal, a 26-year-old Indian national who was added to the bureau’s wanted list earlier this week over his alleged role as an enforcer for a transnational criminal network. Kaushal, who uses the alias “Lala,” was arrested on 16 July in Vermont, near the US-Canada border, in an operation carried out by agents of US Customs and Border Protection’s Swanton Sector.
The FBI’s Albany field office publicly thanked Border Patrol for locating and arresting Kaushal, crediting the agency’s work “to ensure the safety and security of our Northern Border.” Federal officials have not said how or why Kaushal came to be in Vermont, or whether he was attempting to cross into Canada at the time of his arrest.
Kaushal is wanted in the US District Court for the Central District of California on a charge of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations conspiracy, after a federal arrest warrant was issued against him on 25 June. He is now expected to face court proceedings on that outstanding charge. The FBI issued its wanted notice for Kaushal earlier this week, describing him as armed and dangerous and an escape risk.
According to the FBI, Kaushal is alleged to be linked to the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organized Crime Group, a transnational criminal network that originated in India’s Punjab state and has operated in the Central District of California and elsewhere. The bureau’s wanted notice says Kaushal is alleged to have carried out acts of violence on the group’s behalf, including kidnappings and assaults.
The wider crackdown has also targeted the Bishnoi and Dhanda networks, part of what US authorities describe as a coordinated effort to dismantle India-origin organised crime syndicates operating across North America and Europe. The same operation produced charges against Lawrence Bishnoi, the gang leader accused of ordering the 2023 murder of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar from inside an Indian prison. Kaushal’s arrest marks the first confirmed capture among the fugitives named on the FBI’s wanted list in connection with the operation. Two of the ten fugitives being sought are believed to be in India.
