A California resident, Sushil Kumar, has been sentenced to six months in prison for his involvement in a scheme to smuggle Indian citizens into the United States. The sentencing took place at the U.S. District Court in Seattle, where Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller announced the judgment.
Kumar, aged 35 and a citizen of India, along with three others, was indicted for conspiracy to bring in and transport certain aliens for profit. The group was implicated in two smuggling incidents occurring in November and December 2023. During the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Tana Lin emphasized the exploitation involved in such schemes: “That they wanted to be in the country doesn’t mean they were not exploited... Human smuggling undermines our country’s ability to regulate the border at a real cost.”
Court records indicate that eight Indian citizens were involved in these events. On November 27, 2023, a motion-activated camera captured several individuals jumping a fence near Boundary Village Apartments in Blaine, Washington. Border Patrol agents intercepted five individuals from India inside a white minivan driven by Bobby Joe Green.
Upon questioning, three non-citizens identified Kumar as being present at Peace Arch Park before their illegal crossing. Some communicated with him via WhatsApp prior to November 27, receiving instructions on how to cross the border.
The investigation found that Kumar and Rajat Rajat directed these crossings and arranged transportation by paying Green. In December 2023, Rajat reportedly guided another group through Peace Arch Park into a vehicle driven by Sneha.
Prosecutors had sought an eight-month sentence for Kumar, arguing that "smuggling of non-citizens is a dangerous scheme that profits from exploiting vulnerable individuals." They stated that Kumar knowingly conspired with co-defendants for financial gain.
Three defendants have pleaded guilty; Rajat is set for sentencing on April 23, 2025; Green will be sentenced on March 13, 2025. Sneha faces trial on May 12, 2025. She was arrested and released on bond.
The charges against Sneha are allegations until proven otherwise in court.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) and U.S. Border Patrol are investigating the case, prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jin Kim and Mike Dion with Special Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Collins handling proceedings.