A Years Long Investigation Comes to a Head

On July 7, 2026, the US Department of Justice announced the results of a sweeping, years long investigation into transnational organized crime networks rooted in India. Dubbed “Operation Hard Ball,” the coordinated effort involved law enforcement agencies across the United States, Canada, and Europe, and resulted in 24 arrests connected to three separate criminal syndicates.

In total, 37 defendants now face charges across three federal indictments including two men are alleged to have run their global criminal operation hard ball from inside Indian prisons.

Who Was Arrested, and Where

In Operation hard ball the 24 people taken into custody:

• 11 were arrested in California
• 1 in Indiana
• 1 in Georgia
• 3 in Canada
• 1 in Spain
• 7 were already in custody before the operation hard ball began

Authorities are still hunting 10 fugitives seven believed to be in the United States, two in India, and one elsewhere in Europe On Operation hard ball

As part of the investigation, law enforcement seized roughly 1,000 kg of cocaine, 1 kilogram of heroin, $40,000 in cash, and a dozen firearms, executing dozens of search warrants across the Sacramento and Los Angeles areas.

The Three Criminal Networks

1. The Bishnoi Enterprise

The most high profile case centers on Lawrence Bishnoi, a 33-year-old already imprisoned in India, who prosecutors say built and directed a multicontinent criminal empire using smuggled phones from behind bars. Bishnoi and his associate Satinderjeet Singh, alias “Goldy Brar,” have been charged with ordering the 2023 assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.

Prosecutors allege on operation hard ball the group used high-profile acts of violence including a 2023 shooting at the Vancouver home of a well known Indian actor and singer to intimidate and extort members of the Indian diaspora. The group is also accused of attempting to extort victims in Los Angeles and Thousand Oaks, California, in one case demanding a $5 million payment in late 2025 and early 2026, and of funding its operations hard ball through international drug trafficking, including the theft of 100 kgms of cocaine from rival trafficking groups.

2. The Bhagwanpuria Enterprise

A second indictment charges 17 defendants linked to a rival syndicate founded by Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, who is also imprisoned in India. This network is accused of murder-for-hire, drug trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, and weapons trafficking, and reportedly claims more than 1,000 members and associates worldwide, including over 100 in the US.

3. The Dhanda Network

The third indictment names Ravinder Singh Dhanda and 10 others, accused of running an international drug distribution operation that smuggled hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine each week from Southern California into Canada using long-haul commercial trucks, including farm vehicles, to conceal the shipments.

Official Reactions

First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli emphasized that transnational gangs spreading fear and violence would face the full weight of federal law enforcement. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell called the operation a reflection of strong cooperation between local, federal, and international agencies. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Mike Duheme noted that the joint effort had disrupted criminal organizations that used murder and fear to control communities in both Canada and the US

The Diplomatic Backdrop

The Nijjar assassination has long been a flashpoint in India-Canada relations. After Nijjar’s killing in 2023, then-Canadian PM Justin Trudeau alleged Indian government involvement, sparking a diplomatic crisis that saw both countries expel six diplomats each. Four Indian nationals were already arrested and charged.

Disclaimer:

Disclaimer: Operation Hard Ball is based on publicly available news reports and official statements.

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