The United States government has initiated legal proceedings against the Lawrence Bishnoi criminal organization using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act for the first time against an India-based entity.

美國政府首次針對一個位於印度的實體，利用《反黑社會組織法》(RICO Act) 對 Lawrence Bishnoi 犯罪組織採取法律行動。

The legal framework utilized in this instance, the RICO Act of 1970, was originally conceived to dismantle organized crime syndicates, such as the New York mafia, and has subsequently been applied to diverse entities including the Latin Kings and FIFA officials. Prosecution under this statute necessitates the evidentiary establishment of five criteria: the existence of an enterprise, its impact on interstate or foreign commerce, the defendant's association with said enterprise, the presence of a racketeering pattern consisting of at least two acts within a decade, and the defendant's participation in the enterprise's affairs via that pattern. Convictions may result in substantial penalties, including life imprisonment, asset forfeiture, and significant financial levies.

本次採用的法律框架為 1970 年的 RICO Act，最初旨在瓦解有組織犯罪集團（如紐約黑手黨），隨後被應用於包括 Latin Kings 和 FIFA 官員在內的多樣實體。根據此法規起訴，必須證明五項標準：企業的存在、其對州際或外國貿易的影響、被告與該企業的關聯、存在包含十年內至少兩次行為的敲詐模式，以及被告透過該模式參與企業事務。定罪可能導致嚴重處罰，包括終身監禁、沒收資產及巨額罰金。

In the current matter, the U.S. Department of Justice characterizes the Lawrence Bishnoi network as a transnational criminal enterprise with operational capacities extending across North America, Europe, and Canada. The indictment alleges the commission of political assassinations, human smuggling, narcotics trafficking, and extortion. Specifically, the Department of Justice asserts that Lawrence Bishnoi, in coordination with associates such as Goldy Brar and Rohit Godara, attempted to extort $5 million from targets in Los Angeles and Thousand Oaks between December 2025 and January 2026. Furthermore, the syndicate is alleged to maintain associations with pro-Khalistan elements, specifically the Babbar Khalsa International.

在目前的案件中，美國司法部將 Lawrence Bishnoi 網絡定性為一個跨國犯罪企業，其運作能力延伸至北美、歐洲和加拿大。起訴書指控其涉嫌政治暗殺、人口走私、毒品販運和敲詐勒索。具體而言，司法部指稱 Lawrence Bishnoi 與 Goldy Brar 及 Rohit Godara 等同夥協作，在 2025 年 12 月至 2026 年 1 月期間，嘗試在洛杉磯和 Thousand Oaks 向目標勒索 500 萬美元。此外，該集團被指與支持卡利斯坦 (Khalistan) 的分子，特別是國際巴巴爾-卡爾薩 (Babbar Khalsa International) 保持聯繫。

There is a notable convergence between the U.S. allegations and prior assertions made by India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) in August 2022. Both entities maintain that Bishnoi continued to direct criminal operations while incarcerated. The U.S. indictment specifies the utilization of contraband cellular devices, Voice-Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, and encrypted messaging services to facilitate these activities. This claim persists despite Bishnoi's detention since 2017 and his subsequent placement in isolation at Gujarat's Sabarmati jail since 2023, thereby raising institutional questions regarding the efficacy of communication restrictions within the penal facility.

美國的指控與印度國家調查局 (NIA) 於 2022 年 8 月提出的主張高度一致。雙方均認為 Bishnoi 在監禁期間仍持續指揮犯罪行動。美國起訴書詳述了其利用違禁手機、網路電話 (VoIP) 技術及加密訊息服務來促成這些活動。儘管 Bishnoi 自 2017 年起被拘留，且自 2023 年起在古吉拉特邦 Sabarmati 監獄被單獨監禁，但此項指控依然成立，從而對監獄內通訊限制的成效提出了制度性質疑。

The U.S. has formally indicted the Bishnoi network under RICO statutes, alleging a global criminal operation managed from within the Indian prison system.

美國已正式根據 RICO 法規起訴 Bishnoi 網絡，指控其為一個在印度監獄系統內管理的全球犯罪行動。