A major immigration fraud has been uncovered in the US, involving an Indian-origin businessman and senior law enforcement officials.
Chandrakant “Lala” Patel, a subway and retail store owner in Louisiana, was arrested, according to reports. Three police chiefs and a marshal were also held. They allegedly created fake crime reports to help immigrants obtain U visas, meant for victims who assist in investigations.
While more details are awaited, it has emerged that US authorities launched a probe after spotting suspicious patterns in visa applications. A 62-count indictment reveals the group ran the scheme for nearly a decade, fabricating armed robbery cases to support false claims.
The owner, Chandrakant Patel, reportedly helped scores of Indians illegally receive visas by paying cops $5K for fake police reports, making the alien eligible for visas reserved for victims of crimes, according to details published on social media.
This is another instance of illegal migration to the US that continues unabated. The latest numbers from the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) claim that illegal crossings at the US borders have fallen to their lowest point in decades. However, such episodes serve as a reminder that human smuggling networks remain active. They continue to exploit desperation and ambition, often with tragic consequences.
There is a recent instance of a family, the Rabaris, who left Gujarat on a journey to the US via the Caribbean.
Bharat Rabari is still missing. His wife, Chetna Rabari, has filed a complaint with the police in Prantij, accusing two agents, Mahendra Patel and Johny Patel (also known as Divyesh), of facilitating illegal migration routes to the US Bharat is among nine individuals from various districts in Gujarat—including Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha, and Kheda—who left in early January and have since lost all contact.
Reports claim that this marks the third major human smuggling case from Gujarat to the US in just over a year, highlighting the ongoing risks villagers take in pursuit of an NRI status that holds significant social and economic value.
Vibes of India has extensively reported the plight of Gujarati illegal migrants in the US, the sordid networks behind it, and the systemic failures—both local and international—that continue to fuel this dangerous pipeline.
VOI and top media publications have reported how Dingucha village, tucked away in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district, has become a hotbed for illegal migration activity.
For those who came in late, an unsettling pattern had been taking shape, one that speaks volumes about the desperation, deception, and deadly risks tied to illegal migration. Once known only to locals, Dingucha represents the perils of chasing foreign dreams by unlawful means.
Back in January 2022, the world was jolted by the discovery of four frozen bodies — a family from Dingucha comprising Jagdish Patel, his wife and two young kids — lying lifeless just meters from the Canada-US border. Their bodies were found frozen in -35 degrees Celsius weather, on the Canadian side of the border.
The family paid large sums to traffickers. They were promised safe entry into the United States. The case made headlines for a while. But public attention faded. So did the urgency to address the issue.
In October 2024, another family from Dingucha was stopped at Ahmedabad airport. They were trying to fly to London via Dubai. Their UK visa was based on forged immigration stamps. Narendrasinh Vaghela had given their passports to a travel agent. The agent added fake departure and arrival stamps to show a false travel history.
A sharp-eyed immigration officer spotted the fraud. The family was intercepted just in time. Another dangerous journey was averted.
These are not isolated cases. Dingucha is only symbolic of the larger malaise that grips the country.
Across India, and particularly in parts of Gujarat and Punjab, entire economies have grown around the dream of emigration, by any means necessary. Agents promise quick solutions, document fixers offer fake histories, and entire villages are dotted with half-built homes funded by relatives abroad, often gained through irregular migration.
But behind these dreams lie stories of exploitation, shattered lives, and legal ruin. Many who take these illegal routes end up detained, deported, or worse—lost to deserts, seas, or freezing frontiers.
In many such cases, the families involved are not criminals in the traditional sense. They are driven by aspiration, fueled by peer pressure, and often misled by well-dressed agents who promise shortcuts to success abroad. Unfortunately, these shortcuts are often traps.
The emotional and financial toll is severe. Families sell land. They borrow heavily or mortgage their futures. All of it can vanish, lost to smugglers or buried in foreign detention systems.
Even those who reach their destination face harsh realities. Life without legal status is difficult. They take low-paying jobs. They endure exploitation. Fear keeps them from reporting abuse or seeking help.
Recent investigations have revealed that illegal immigration rackets operating out of Gujarat are far from improvised operations. These are professionally run networks that organise physical training camps in the hinterlands of north Gujarat to prepare clients for illegal border crossings into the United States, often via Canada or Mexico.
In secluded farm houses located in areas like Uvarsad, Mansa, and Paliyad in Gandhinagar, as well as Vijapur in Mehsana district, migrants are trained to scale 15-foot walls, navigate barbed-wire fences, and run long distances while carrying children and luggage. These sessions simulate the physical demands of crossing international borders on foot—an indication of how organised and entrenched these smuggling routes have become.
Interestingly, a recent study titled ‘Unauthorised Indians in the United States: Trends and Developments’ claims that Gujaratis earn a higher average income than Punjabis in the US. The study claims that Gujaratis in the US had an average personal income of $58,000, compared to $48,000 for Punjabis. Yet, ironically, Gujarati speakers recorded the second-lowest personal earnings after Punjabi speakers because the share of unauthorised immigrants among them is likely higher.
The routes may change, the names will differ, and the methods will evolve. Risk, even if it means endangering one’s life, remains the only constant running across these stories. Fresh episodes of illegal migration will continue to surface, but rarely accompanied by the lessons they should have taught.
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