US: The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has taken an Indian national into custody over multiple alleged offences, including the sexual assault of a minor.
In a statement posted on X, the agency said the man is facing accusations of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13, along with charges of shoplifting and disorderly conduct. Identifying him as Vodela Yashaswi Kottapalli, ICE described him as being in the country unlawfully and said he has pending sexual assault and larceny charges in New Jersey. The agency added that he will remain in detention while removal proceedings are underway.
—SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A CHILD UNDER 13
—SHOPLIFTING
—PUBLIC DISORDERVodela Yashaswi Kottapalli, a criminal illegal alien from India, has pending charges for sexual assault and larceny in New Jersey.
We’ll keep him in custody pending removal proceedings. pic.twitter.com/VM97e9KUD9
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) February 16, 2026
The action comes amid a broader immigration enforcement push under President Donald Trump’s second term, during which ICE has stepped up operations targeting undocumented immigrants across the United States.
In a separate case highlighted by the agency in December, ICE shared details about an Indian-origin truck driver linked to a deadly highway crash in Oregon that claimed two lives. According to the agency, the driver had entered the US through Arizona in November 2022 without authorisation but was later granted work permits and a commercial driving licence by authorities in California.
That incident was one of several serious accidents in recent months involving Indian nationals operating heavy commercial vehicles in the US. Officials have pointed to at least three other fatal crashes in Florida and California involving undocumented Indian truck drivers.
Established in 2003 after the consolidation of investigative and interior enforcement functions from the former US Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, ICE operates with a workforce of more than 20,000 personnel across over 400 offices in the US and abroad. The agency works with an annual budget of roughly $8 billion, which funds its key branches; Homeland Security Investigations, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor with administrative support provided by its Management and Administration division.
(with ANI inputs)
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
