NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Plattsburgh, N.Y., December 7, 2025: A New York woman has been indicted in what federal prosecutors describe as an international scheme to smuggle migrants — most of them Indian nationals — from Canada into the United States for profit.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 42-year-old Stacey Taylor of Plattsburgh was charged in a multi-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on October 2, 2025. The charges include one count of conspiracy to smuggle migrants and four counts of smuggling for financial gain. Three of those counts are designated as second or subsequent offenses, which carry enhanced penalties. Each smuggling-for-profit charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.
Authorities say Taylor was first stopped by U.S. Border Patrol agents on January 20, 2025, near Churubusco, New York, close to the Canadian border. Agents reportedly found four foreign nationals in her vehicle — three Indian nationals and one Canadian — who had just crossed into the United States illegally and without inspection.
Investigators say evidence retrieved from Taylor’s cellphone showed text messages suggesting she had transported other migrants during the days leading up to her arrest. Prosecutors have also linked her to two additional suspected smuggling attempts in August and September of this year.
The case is being prosecuted as part of Joint Task Force Alpha, a Justice Department and Homeland Security initiative aimed at dismantling transnational human-smuggling networks operating across North America.
If convicted on all counts, Taylor faces a substantial federal prison sentence. The investigation into additional co-conspirators and smuggling routes remains ongoing, officials said.
