As many as eight Indian-origin people, including a man wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), have been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in California's San Joaquin County, USA, in connection with a gang-related kidnapping and torture case, said authorities.
Among the eight arrested is Pavittar Singh Batala, a known gangster from Punjab. Pavittar Singh Batala is closely associated with Babbar Khalsa International and has ties to Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Landa. Landa, a key figure in the Khalistani terror network, is also listed among the NIA's most wanted individuals.
Multiple security agencies conducted five coordinated raids across San Joaquin County as part of a gang-related kidnapping and torture investigation. The operation led to the arrest of eight individuals. "On July 11, 2025, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office AGNET Unit—alongside the Stockton Police Department SWAT Team, Manteca Police Department SWAT Team, Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team, and the FBI SWAT Team—executed five coordinated search warrants across San Joaquin County as part of a gang-related kidnapping and torture investigation," the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office announced on Saturday.
List of eight arrested in US
As a result of the investigation, the US SWAT teams arrested
- Dilpreet Singh
- Arshpreet Singh
- Amritpal Singh
- Vishal
- Pavittar Singh
- Gurtaj Singh
- Manpreet Randhawa
- Sarabjit Singh
The sheriff’s office also shared a video of the arrests and identified Pavittar Singh as the primary suspect. However, it did not give any further details about the case.
During the searches, the FBI seized 5 handguns (including a fully-automatic Glock), one assault rifle, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, high-capacity magazines, and over USD 15,000 in cash from the arrested terrorists.
What are the charges against arrested people?
The eight suspects have been booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on various felony charges, including kidnapping, torture, false imprisonment, conspiracy to commit a crime, preventing/dissuading a witness, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, threats to terrorize, and felony gang enhancement.
Additionally, they are also facing other weapons-related charges such as possession of a machine gun, illegal possession of an assault weapon, manufacture/sale of high-capacity magazines, manufacturing a short-barreled rifle, and carrying a loaded, unregistered handgun.
"This takedown was part of the FBI’s Summer Heat initiative, a nationwide effort targeting violent offenders and gang members who terrorize our communities. Summer Heat reflects Director Patel’s commitment to the American people to crush crime and restore safety in neighborhoods across the country," the statement added.
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