A California man has been sentenced to six months in prison for his involvement in a scheme to smuggle Indian citizens into the United States. Sushil Kumar, 35, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Seattle for conspiracy to bring in and transport certain aliens for profit. Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller announced the sentencing.
Kumar and three others were implicated in a plan to smuggle non-citizens across the northern border for financial gain. The group was linked to two smuggling incidents that occurred in November and December 2023. During the sentencing, U.S. District Judge Tana Lin remarked on the vulnerability of those being smuggled, stating, “That they wanted to be in the country doesn’t mean they were not exploited. Each was charged $5,000 to $10,000 which is months or years of their salary in the country from which they were coming… Human smuggling undermines our country’s ability to regulate the border at a real cost.”
Court records reveal that eight Indian citizens were involved in these events. On November 27, 2023, surveillance captured individuals jumping a fence near Boundary Village Apartments in Blaine, Washington. Border Patrol agents intercepted five people who fled to a white minivan driven by Bobby Joe Green, 68.
Three non-citizens identified Kumar at Peace Arch Park before crossing illegally and recognized him from photo lineups. Two of them communicated with Kumar via WhatsApp before November 27, receiving instructions on how to cross the border and a screenshot of his location near a specific fence.
The investigation found that Kumar and Rajat Rajat directed non-citizens on crossing procedures while Rajat paid Green for transportation services from the border. In December 2023, Rajat met three Indian nationals at Peace Arch Park and guided them into a car driven by Sneha.
Prosecutors requested an eight-month sentence for Kumar, emphasizing that “Smuggling of non-citizens is a dangerous scheme that profits from exploiting vulnerable individuals while undermining the United States’ ability to regulate its borders.” They noted Kumar's admission of conspiring with co-defendants for financial gain.
Of the four defendants involved, three have pleaded guilty. Rajat Rajat is set for sentencing on April 23, 2025; Bobby Joe Green will be sentenced on March 13, 2025; Sneha faces trial on May 12, 2025.
Sneha's charges are allegations until proven otherwise beyond reasonable doubt.
The case is under investigation by ICE HSI and U.S. Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jin Kim and Mike Dion along with Special Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Collins.
