According to the California Attorney General, the detained individuals are members of rival criminal outfits that are claimed to be behind a number of Gurudwara shootings and violent crimes in the counties of Sutter, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Yolo, and Merced, including five attempted murders.
In a series of raids conducted at over 20 locations, police in California have made 17 arrests in relation to a string of shootings that have occurred in Gurdwaras in Stockton, Sacramento, and other cities. They have also seized weapons like AK-47s, handguns, and at least one machine gun.
In an announcement made by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Yuba City Police Chief Brian Baker, and Sutter County District Attorney Jennifer Dupré, it was revealed that the 17 felony arrests, the majority of which involved members of the local Sikh community, were made on Sunday during a massive operation that saw agents running search warrants at 20 different locations throughout Northern California.
Reportedly, four of them have Indian passports, and the remaining Sikhs were born and raised in the United States.
A breakdown of the Gurudwara shootings
Both the shooting that occurred on March 23, 2024, at a Sikh temple in Sacramento, and the mass shooting that occurred on August 27, 2022, were allegedly carried out by members of these groups. Based on a news statement, law enforcement was able to avert two other shootings while conducting their investigation.
On March 26, a shooting took place during the Nagar Kirtan, the opening ceremony for the Gurdwara Sacramento Sikh Society, injuring two men critically. The event happened on Bradshaw Road in Sacramento County’s Vineyard neighbourhood, where a large crowd had assembled. As a result, officials began Operation Broken Sword, a probe that focused on two rival factions of a criminal organisation that engaged in a variety of illegal operations, such as the sale of firearms and violent crimes. Investigators carried out search warrants on Sunday as part of a planned “takedown,” seizing 41 unlawfully held guns.
Wanted criminals
Two mafia members who were “wanted for a number of murders” in India, according to Dupré, have been detained. These individuals, who are alleged members of clashing criminal factions, are charged with a number of shootings and violent crimes, including five attempted murders, throughout numerous counties, including Sutter, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Yolo, and Merced.
According to Dupre, Husandeep Singh and Pavittar Singh are wanted in India on allegations of murder. On their route to Manteca, where it is believed they intended to carry out a homicide, two further guys were apprehended.
Dupre claimed that members of the AK-47 Group and Minta, two criminal organisations responsible for the rising violence, were formerly affiliated with a single organisation before splitting off into competing groups. The district attorney claimed that although the reasons for the violence are still “a little murky,” they essentially just show up and try to shoot each other.
Authorities have detained seven persons after discovering four handguns, two assault rifles, and two high-capacity magazine-equipped assault rifles in those vehicles close to the parade route. The suspects were planning on taking a position along the parade route and opening fire on opponents.
Home to the Sikhs and shootings
Nearly 70,000 people live in Yuba City, a city on the Feather River north of Sacramento with a sizable Sikh population. The region is sometimes referred to as “mini Punjab” by locals. For Nagar Kirtan, one of the biggest Sikh gatherings in the US, which takes place in November, tens of thousands of people flock to the city.
The Central Valley of California is also home to a sizable Sikh population. Seven of the shootings, according to the assistant sheriff for Sacramento County, took place within the county’s borders in the last 12 months.
