The United States government has started legal action against the Lawrence Bishnoi criminal organization. For the first time, the U.S. is using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act against a group based in India.

美國政府已對 Lawrence Bishnoi 犯罪組織採取法律行動。美國首次運用《影響及腐敗組織法》（RICO Act）來對付一個總部位於印度的組織。

The RICO Act of 1970 was originally created to destroy organized crime groups, such as the New York mafia. To get a conviction under this law, prosecutors must prove five things: that a criminal enterprise exists, that it affects international or domestic trade, that the defendant is linked to the group, that there is a pattern of at least two crimes within ten years, and that the defendant participated in the group's activities. Consequently, those found guilty can face severe penalties, including life in prison and the loss of their assets.

1970 年的 RICO 法案最初是為了摧毀有組織犯罪集團而設計，例如紐約黑手黨。若要根據此法定罪，檢方必須證明五項要件：存在一個犯罪企業、該企業影響國際或國內貿易、被告與該組織有聯繫、十年內有至少兩項罪行構成模式，以及被告參與了該組織的活動。因此，被裁定有罪的人可能面臨嚴厲處罰，包括終身監禁以及沒收資產。

In this case, the U.S. Department of Justice describes the Lawrence Bishnoi network as an international criminal organization operating in North America, Europe, and Canada. The government asserts that the group is involved in political killings, human smuggling, drug trafficking, and extortion. Specifically, officials claim that Lawrence Bishnoi and his associates tried to extort $5 million from targets in California between late 2025 and early 2026. Furthermore, the group is alleged to have connections with the Babbar Khalsa International.

在此案件中，美國司法部將 Lawrence Bishnoi 網絡描述為一個在北美、歐洲和加拿大運作的國際犯罪組織。政府主張該組織涉及政治暗殺、人口走私、毒品交易和勒索。具體而言，官員聲稱 Lawrence Bishnoi 及其同夥在 2025 年底至 2026 年初期間，試圖向加州的目標勒索 500 萬美元。此外，據稱該組織與 Babbar Khalsa International 有聯繫。

These U.S. allegations are similar to claims made by India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2022. Both agencies emphasize that Bishnoi continued to lead his criminal operations while in prison. According to the U.S. indictment, he used illegal mobile phones and encrypted messaging apps to communicate. This is particularly surprising because Bishnoi has been detained since 2017 and has been in isolation since 2023, which raises serious questions about how well the prison is managed.

美國的這些指控與印度國家調查局（NIA）在 2022 年提出的主張相似。兩個機構均強調，Bishnoi 即使在監獄中仍繼續領導其犯罪行動。根據美國的起訴書，他使用非法手機和加密通訊應用程式進行溝通。這一點尤其令人驚訝，因為 Bishnoi 自 2017 年起就被拘留，且自 2023 年起一直被單獨囚禁，這對監獄的管理成效提出了嚴重質疑。

The U.S. has officially charged the Bishnoi network under the RICO Act, claiming that a global criminal operation was managed from inside an Indian prison.

美國正式根據 RICO 法案起訴 Bishnoi 網絡，聲稱一個全球犯罪行動是在印度監獄內部管理的。