A 22-year-old suspect has been indicted by a federal grand jury in upstate New York for purportedly orchestrating a human smuggling scheme that transported migrants from Canada into the United States through the northern border. The indictment, issued on January 28 in the Northern District of New York, accuses Shivam Lnu of overseeing smuggling activities between January and June 2025, as per the Justice Department.
Shivam is accused by federal prosecutors of coordinating the illicit transportation of migrants across the US-Canada border into New York. Allegedly, he utilized multiple drivers, vehicles, and messaging applications to manage the operation. The case, according to the Department of Justice, originated from an incident on January 26, 2025, near the border, where US Border Patrol agents tried to intercept two vehicles traveling together, resulting in a pursuit.
During the pursuit, one vehicle veered off the road and got stuck, while the other was eventually halted in Mooers, New York, where authorities found a total of 12 undocumented migrants inside both vehicles. Investigators claim that WhatsApp messages between one of the drivers and a phone number associated with Shivam demonstrated coordination of smuggling activities in and before January 2025. These messages allegedly included photos of migrants as well as directions to safe houses in upstate New York.
The indictment states that Shivam, an Indian national, is charged with one count of conspiracy to illegally bring aliens into the United States and four counts of illegally bringing aliens into the country for financial gain. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison for each count. Prosecutors highlighted that a conviction on all four counts of smuggling for profit carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 15 years. Shivam was initially charged on June 13, 2025, with conspiracy to transport aliens.
The announcement regarding the indictment was made by Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York, and Erin Keegan, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations’ Buffalo Field Office. It is emphasized that an indictment is an accusation, and all defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
