FBI cracks down on Bhagwanpuria network, adds Nitish Kaushal to most wanted list

WASHINGTON: In a major escalation against transnational crime syndicates operating on American soil, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has placed an alleged operative of an India-linked criminal syndicate on its most wanted list.

The federal agency took action against Nitish Kaushal, identifying him as a suspected associate of the ‘Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organised Crime Group (OCG)’, as part of an intensified American crackdown on global syndicates originating from India.

According to US investigators, Kaushal is being sought for his suspected ties to the “Bhagwanpuria OCG”, which authorities describe as a “transnational criminal organisation that originated in Punjab, India, and operated in the Central District of California and elsewhere.”

Nitish Kaushal is #wanted by the #FBI for his alleged involvement in a transnational criminal organization engaged in, among other things, acts involving murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering, and human smuggling. This… pic.twitter.com/xuEXpJIx6u

— FBI Most Wanted (@FBIMostWanted) July 14, 2026

American law enforcement agencies allege that the syndicate has orchestrated a wide array of violent felonies across borders. The FBI stated that the network is heavily involved in “murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering, and human smuggling.”

Federal sleuths further alleged that Kaushal personally carried out high-risk violent operations for the syndicate, noting that he “carried out violent acts on behalf of the organisation, including kidnappings and assaults.”

The legal dragnet around Kaushal tightened last month when the US District Court for the Central District of California issued a federal arrest warrant for him on June 25, 2026. The judicial warrant followed formal American charges accusing him of “Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy.”

The FBI’s latest move comes on the heels of “Operation Hard Ball”, a massive multinational law enforcement offensive designed to dismantle the Bhagwanpuria crime syndicate’s global footprint. The coordinated international crackdown triggered synchronised raids and enforcement actions spanning the United States, Canada, and Europe.

The scale of the operation underscores the intensifying international law enforcement cooperation aimed at neutralising global crime syndicates rooted in India. (ANI)