The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States on Thursday (local time) announced the arrest of Nitish Kaushal, who is an alleged associate of the criminal gang called the Bhagwanpuria Organised Crime Group (OCG).
The announcement was made by the federal agency in a social media post on X, wherein it said that Kaushal, wanted by the FBI's Los Angeles field office, was captured with assistance from the US Border Patrol personnel.
"Thanks to the outstanding work our @USBPChiefSWB partners are doing to ensure the safety and security of our Northern Border, this dangerous fugitive from @FBILosAngeles was captured early this morning in Vermont," FBI Albany said.
The FBI also said that it remains committed to working with law enforcement partners in order to "protect our borders and keep our communities safe from dangerous criminals".
Who is Nitish Kaushal?
As per the official wanted notice issued by the FBI, Kaushal, who also goes by the alias 'Lala', is wanted for his involvement with the Bhagwanpuria gang, which the FBI has described as "a transnational criminal organisation engaged in, among other things, acts involving murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering, and human smuggling."
The FBI revealed that the criminal group originated in India's Punjab and had operations in California's Central District and other areas. It also said that Kaushal "carried out acts of violence on behalf of the Bhagwanpuria OCG, including, but not limited to, kidnappings and assaults".
A federal arrest warrant was issued against Kaushal on 25 June 2026 by the US District Court for the Central District of California, the FBI informed, adding that he was charged under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy Act.
The wanted notice issued a warning that Kaushal "should be considered armed and dangerous and an escape risk".
This move comes amid the FBI's 'Operation Hardball', a massive multinational offensive it has launched to dismantle the global footprint of this crime syndicate.
The coordinated crackdown triggered raids in the US, Canada, and Europe.
Around 37 people, including Lawrence Bishnoi and his associate Satinderjeet Singh, have been charged by US courts in three different federal indictments. Others named in the same include Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, Ravinder Singh Dhanda, Rohit Godara, and a number of other alleged members of crime syndicates.
