WASHINGTON, February 17 — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has detained an Indian national accused of multiple offenses, including the alleged sexual assault of a minor.
In a post on X, ICE stated that the individual is accused of sexually assaulting a child under 13 years of age, shoplifting, and public disorder. The agency identified him as Vodela Yashaswi Kottapalli and said he has pending charges for sexual assault and larceny in New Jersey.
ICE said he will remain in custody pending removal proceedings.
Under President Donald Trump’s second term, ICE has intensified enforcement actions against individuals described as being in the country illegally.
In December, ICE also released details about an Indian truck driver involved in a fatal highway accident in Oregon that killed two people. According to the agency, the driver entered the United States illegally through Arizona in November 2022 and was later granted work authorization and a commercial driver’s license by California state authorities.
The case followed several similar crashes involving Indian nationals driving heavy goods vehicles in the United States. In recent months, authorities have highlighted at least three other fatal accidents involving undocumented Indian truck drivers in Florida and California.
Established in 2003 through a merger of the investigative and interior enforcement components of the former U.S. Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, ICE employs more than 20,000 law enforcement and support personnel across more than 400 offices in the United States and worldwide.
The agency operates with an annual budget of approximately $8 billion, primarily allocated to three directorates: Homeland Security Investigations, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor. A fourth directorate, Management and Administration, supports the agency’s operational branches in advancing its mission.
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