Indians arrested and charged in smuggling attempt in upstate New York

Two Indians living in America were arrested and charged with smuggling into the US two other nationals from India, who also faced charges of trying to enter the country illegally. US Border Patrol agents from the Massena Border Patrol Station in New York state arrested the individuals in connection to a failed smuggling attempt on Sunday afternoon.

The agents stopped a taxi near Massena and during the vehicle stop, agents confirmed that two of the passengers were citizens of India who entered the United States illegally and not at a designated port of entry. Both were transported to the Border Patrol Station for processing and charged with trying to enter the US illegally in violation of federal law, the US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement. The driver of the vehicle, a naturalized United States citizen originally from India, as well as another passenger, a lawful Permanent Resident who is also from India, were charged with alien smuggling, a felony that carries a penalty of a fine and up to 10 years in prison for each violation.

"The arrests of these human smugglers are another great example of the hard work Border Patrol agents do every day to make our communities safer and secure our nation's border," Patrol Agent-In-Charge of the Massena Station Wade Laughman said.