New York Woman Faces Federal Charges for Smuggling Indian Nationals Across US-Canada Border

A 42-year-old woman from Plattsburgh, New York has been charged for participating in an international human smuggling operation that illegally transported individuals, primarily Indian nationals, across the Canadian border into the United States.

Stacey Taylor made an appearance for arraignment this week following her indictment by a federal grand jury in Albany in October. The indictment charges her with involvement in the cross-border smuggling conspiracy, according to Friday's official statement.

Court documents reveal that US Border Patrol agents intercepted Taylor's vehicle near Churubusco, New York, close to the Quebec border in the early hours of January. Inside her vehicle, agents discovered four foreign nationals.

The four men - three Indian citizens and one Canadian - had illegally entered the United States from Canada without proper inspection. A subsequent examination of Taylor's mobile phone by law enforcement revealed text messages indicating her involvement in multiple previous smuggling operations in the preceding days.

Despite her initial arrest in January 2025, Taylor has reportedly been implicated in smuggling activities as recently as September this year.

According to the indictment, Taylor faces charges of conspiracy to engage in alien smuggling and four counts of alien smuggling for profit, with three counts classified as second or subsequent offenses.

Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, Matthew Galeotti, stated that if convicted, Taylor faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years imprisonment per count of alien smuggling for profit, with additional time possible for second and subsequent offenses.