Authorities in California’s San Joaquin County have arrested eight Indian-origin men in connection with a gang-related kidnapping and torture investigation, as part of a sweeping law enforcement operation targeting violent criminal activity.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrests on Friday, stating that multiple law enforcement agencies, including SWAT teams from Stockton, Manteca, and Stanislaus County, as well as the FBI, executed five coordinated search warrants across the county.
The individuals arrested have been identified as Dilpreet Singh, Arshpreet Singh, Amritpal Singh, Vishal, Pavittar Singh, Gurtaj Singh, Manpreet Randhawa, and Sarabjit Singh. The sheriff’s office named Pavittar Singh as the primary suspect, but did not provide additional details about the victim or circumstances surrounding the alleged crime.
Along with the arrests, authorities seized $15,000 in cash and a large arsenal of weapons. Confiscated items included five handguns (one of which was a fully-automatic Glock), an assault rifle, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and multiple high-capacity magazines.
The suspects have been booked into San Joaquin County Jail on a host of felony charges, including:
- Kidnapping
- Torture
- False imprisonment
- Criminal conspiracy
- Witness intimidation
- Assault with a semi-automatic firearm
- Criminal threats with intent to terrorize
- Felony gang enhancement
They also face multiple weapons-related charges, such as:
- Possession of a machine gun
- Illegal possession of an assault weapon
- Manufacture and sale of high-capacity magazines
- Manufacturing a short-barreled rifle
- Carrying a loaded, unregistered handgun
The high-profile operation was part of the FBI’s “Summer Heat” initiative, a national strategy led by FBI Director Kash Patel that aims to crack down on violent offenders and gang-related crime.
“Summer Heat reflects Director Patel’s commitment to the American people to crush crime and restore safety in neighborhoods across the country,” the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
A video clip of the arrests, showing officers in tactical gear raiding multiple properties, was also released by authorities. The case is currently under investigation, with officials expected to release more details in the coming days.