A 34-year-old Indian national, Swapnil Ramesh Tejale, has been arrested in Niagara Falls, New York, for allegedly possessing a forged U.S. green card. The arrest was made during a routine traffic stop on July 10, 2025, when local police called in U.S. Border Patrol agents to assist in identifying three individuals.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, Tejale presented a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident Card during questioning but immediately admitted it was fake. A subsequent investigation confirmed he was living in the U.S. without valid immigration status. Authorities also found a counterfeit Social Security card in his name, compounding the charges against him.
Tejale now faces federal charges that could result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of $250,000.
The arrest falls under “Operation Take Back America,” a national initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration and dismantling transnational criminal activity. Led by the Niagara Falls Station of the U.S. Border Patrol, under Patrol Agent in Charge Brady Waikal, the operation has seen an uptick in enforcement against Indian nationals in recent months.
Earlier this year, an Indian man in California was sentenced to six months in prison for conspiring to transport undocumented individuals for profit. Another Indian national, 25-year-old Manjot Singh, was arrested near Seattle for a series of offenses including robbery, assault, and impersonation. Singh, who had also entered the country illegally, is now in ICE custody and faces deportation.
U.S. immigration officials have reiterated their commitment to enforcing immigration laws strictly, stating that individuals living in the country unlawfully and committing crimes will face arrest, prosecution, and removal proceedings.