Forged resident card: Indian man arrested in New York; faces 10 years in jail
forged alien resident card
, according to the Justice Department. Swapnil Ramesh Tejale, 34, was taken into custody following a traffic stop in Niagara Falls, New York, and now faces a federal charge that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
'On July 10, 2025, the Niagara Falls Border Patrol Station received a request from the Niagara Falls Police Department to help identify three individuals that they had encountered during a traffic stop,' said Assistant US Attorney Michael J. Smith, who is prosecuting the case. 'Agents arrived at the scene and questioned the three individuals as to their citizenship. Tejale presented a Lawful Permanent Resident Card but voluntarily admitted that the card was fictitious.'
Authorities later confirmed that Tejale was in the country unlawfully and did not possess any valid immigration documents. Following his arrest, agents discovered a Social Security card in his name, which was also found to be counterfeit.
The case falls under 'Operation Take Back America', a Justice Department initiative aimed at tackling illegal immigration and dismantling transnational criminal organisations. The operation seeks to 'repel the invasion of illegal immigration' and 'protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime', the department said.
The investigation was led by the US Border Patrol Niagara Falls Station, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Brady Waikal.
Tejale's arrest is part of a series of immigration enforcement actions involving Indian nationals this year. In a related incident, an Indian man from Santa Rosa, California, was sentenced in March to six months in prison for conspiracy to transport aliens for profit. Meanwhile, Manjot Singh, a 25-year-old Indian national, was recently arrested in the Seattle area for repeat offences including robbery, assault, and criminal impersonation. Singh, who entered the U.S. illegally, is currently in ICE custody pending deportation.
ICE officials have said that Singh's arrest is a warning to repeat offenders: 'Those who violate US laws while in the country illegally face arrest and deportation.'
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