Niagara Falls, New York: A 34-year-old Indian national, Swapnil Ramesh Tejale, was arrested in Niagara Falls, New York, for allegedly carrying a fake U.S. permanent resident card. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the arrest took place on July 10, 2025, after local police stopped a vehicle and requested assistance from the Niagara Falls Border Patrol Station. Upon questioning, Tejale presented a Lawful Permanent Resident card but admitted it was fraudulent. Agents later confirmed he was in the United States unlawfully and also found a counterfeit Social Security card in his name.

Tejale has been charged federally for possessing forged immigration documents, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The case is being prosecuted under the Justice Department’s “Operation Take Back America,” a national initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration and targeting transnational criminal activity. Officials said the operation is focused on preventing unlawful entry into the country and protecting communities from offenders using fraudulent documents to remain in the U.S.

This arrest adds to a string of recent immigration enforcement actions involving Indian nationals. Earlier this year, an Indian man in Santa Rosa, California, was sentenced to six months in prison for conspiring to transport undocumented immigrants for financial gain. In another case, 25-year-old Manjot Singh was arrested near Seattle, Washington, on multiple charges including robbery and assault, while unlawfully present in the country. ICE officials have reiterated that individuals who repeatedly break U.S. laws while living illegally face arrest and deportation.