Shivam, a 22-year-old Indian man, pleaded guilty in the United States to conspiring to smuggle Indians across the U.S.-Canada border. He was charged in 2025 and will be sentenced on September 4 after pleading guilty. Under U.S. law, Shivam faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 15 years in prison. His status in the United States — when he arrived and whether he was an illegal immigrant — was unclear.According to court documents, Shivam directed the smuggling operation from October 2024 to June 2025. He once coordinated with drivers to pick up Indians from designated points on the border and transport them to safe houses in upstate New York.Court documents say his job was to coordinate drivers to pick up foreigners from the border and transport them further into the United States, specifically to stash houses around upstate New York and to hotels in Plattsburgh, New York.
Shivam was the mastermind and paid his co-conspirators $100 each for smuggling
While Shivam was paid for his role, he ran a gang in which he was paid for every person he smuggled. On January 25, 2025, Shivam directed a co-conspirator to smuggle 12 foreign nationals from India and the United Kingdom from Canada to the United States. Court documents say he paid co-conspirators $100 for each alien he smuggled.Border agents busted the gang during a chase near the border when two cars raised suspicion. On January 26, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted to intercept two vehicles traveling side by side near the U.S.-Canada border. Both vehicles sped away from the agents, sparking a pursuit. One of the vehicles ran off the road and became immobilized, and the other vehicle was later stopped in Moores, New York. The vehicles were carrying a total of 12 illegal aliens.
