Operation Hard Ball nets 24 arrests of India-linked gangs

Federal authorities announced a major international law enforcement operation on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, resulting in dozens of arrests and indictments targeting three India-based transnational criminal organizations. The multi-year investigation, known as Operation Hard Ball, led to charges against 37 defendants for crimes including racketeering, drug trafficking, extortion, and targeted killings, including the 2023 assassination of a Sikh leader in Canada.

The coordinated effort involved agencies from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. A total of 24 defendants are now in custody following arrests across California, Indiana, Georgia, Canada, and Spain. Authorities executed dozens of search warrants, seizing approximately 2,200 pounds of drugs, including cocaine and heroin, along with dozens of firearms and substantial cash. Thirteen individuals remain at large.

Three federal indictments were unsealed in Los Angeles. The first targets the enterprise of Lawrence Bishnoi, 33, a gangster imprisoned in India who prosecutors allege directed a global criminal network using contraband cell phones. The network is accused of political assassinations, murders, extortion,...