ED Uncovers Three Illegal Donkey Routes Used To Enter United States

The ED has identified three illegal 'donkey routes' used to smuggle Indians into the US, arresting a Delhi-based agent linked to a massive money-laundering network that charged migrants up to Rs 40 lakh for the dangerous journey.

Investigation into Illegal Migration Routes

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has identified three separate routes allegedly used by agents to facilitate the illegal entry of Indians into the United States through the ‘donkey route’, following the arrest of a Delhi-based ticketing agent linked to a network that allegedly charged up to Rs 40 lakh per person for the journey. The routes identified by the agency trace journeys through multiple countries in South and Central America before reaching the US-Mexico border. The investigation is linked to the deportation of more than 300 Indian nationals from the US in February 2025 after they had allegedly entered the country illegally through the Mexico border.

Details of the Identified Donkey Routes

The first route involved flying to El Salvador, travelling by road to Mexico and reaching Tijuana before attempting to enter the US. The ED said passengers were charged around Rs 35 lakh to Rs 40 lakh each for this route.

The second route began with air travel through Dubai or Addis Ababa to Guyana. From there, the journey allegedly continued by road through Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, the Panama jungle, Guatemala and Mexico, before reaching Tijuana and the US border. The agency said the cost for this route was around Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh per person.

The third route was described by a deportee during the investigation. It began in Guyana and passed through Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico before reaching the US border.

Arrest and Modus Operandi

The information highlighted the agency taking the custody of the Delhi-based agent, namely Tarun Khosla, on October 23 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Khosla is currently in ED custody until October 30. As per the ED's input based on questioning of Khosla, it is revealed that the accused allegedly coordinated travel arrangements, including visas and air tickets, and worked with agents and local facilitators to move passengers through these routes. ED said the routes involved travel through several countries, with passengers allegedly relying on local facilitators, described as ‘donkers’, to navigate the onward journey and cross borders illegally.

The ED's Jalandhar zonal office arrested Khosla as part of its ongoing money-laundering investigation based on FIRs registered by the Punjab and Haryana Police under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Emigration Act, 1983. The agency said its investigation revealed that people aspiring to travel to the US were allegedly lured by agents and middlemen with promises of being sent through legal channels. They were instead routed through dangerous and illegal migration corridors across South and Central America, with charges ranging from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 60 lakh per person.

Facilitation and Financial Transactions

Khosla allegedly acted as a key facilitator, working with multiple agents in Punjab and Haryana who collected passports and money from prospective migrants and handed them over to him in Delhi. He allegedly arranged visas and air tickets to transit countries, including Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador and El Salvador, and coordinated the subsequent movement of passengers towards the US border. The agency said Khosla also played a key role in deciding the routes and prices charged to individual travellers. The ED further alleged that Khosla arranged visa clearances for South American countries, forged yellow fever vaccination certificates, air tickets and coordinated with local facilitators involved in illegal border crossings.

"Data retrieved from Khosla's seized mobile phones allegedly revealed conversations indicating that he functioned as an immigration-clearance fixer," said the ED. The federal agency said chats with an international contact pointed to coordination at foreign airports, including ticketing, passenger handling, payments in US dollars and arrangements for immigration clearance. It said instructions relating to ‘OK to Board’ endorsements and coordination with airline and immigration personnel further indicated his role in managing transit arrangements. The agency also identified alleged foreign contacts, including individuals referred to as ‘Mike’ in Mexico, ‘Ali’ in Brazil and ‘Kristi’ in Mexico, who allegedly managed local facilitators and related payments for moving passengers along the route.

Financial Scrutiny and Asset Seizures

The investigation has also brought substantial financial transactions and asset seizures under scrutiny. The ED said cash deposits totalling Rs 30.38 crore were detected through 414 cash-credit transactions in the bank account of Khosla's proprietorship firm, BJ International, during the financial years 2022-23 to 2024-25. Earlier, the agency conducted searches at 19 locations on July 9 and July 11, 2025, recovering documents, records and digital devices, along with suspected bogus immigration and visa stamps pertaining to Nicaragua and Ethiopia.

On December 15, 2025, the ED said it had provisionally attached movable and immovable properties worth Rs 5.41 crore, including agricultural land, residential and business premises, and bank balances allegedly derived from or equivalent to proceeds of crime generated by agents involved in illegal migration to the US. Subsequent searches at multiple locations across Punjab, Haryana and Delhi on December 18 and 19, 2025, led to the seizure of Rs 4.62 crore in cash, gold bars and coins weighing around 5.9 kg, and silver bars weighing approximately 313 kg. The total value of the seized cash and precious metals was assessed at Rs 19.14 crore, the agency said. More than 50 original passports belonging to third parties, along with diaries, transaction records, property documents and digital devices, were also recovered from other premises.

The ED further said the investigation had so far revealed an organised network that allegedly operated for several years, coordinating end-to-end arrangements for illegal travel to the US and earning substantial commissions from people seeking to migrate.

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