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Santa Fe police arrests Indian-origin man in child predator sting operation
Nagaraju Balkam is among four people detained by the Santa Fe police.
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Anushka Pathak - Mon, 23, Mar 2026
- 12:35 EDT
- 21
Nagaraju Balkam being arrested in the bodycam footage by Santa Fe Police Department / Courtesy: Facebook/Santa Fe Police Department
An Indian-origin man was taken into custody during a recent sting operation conducted by the Santa Fe Police Department.
26-year-old Nagaraju Balkam is facing felony charges of sexual exploitation of children by prostitution and child solicitation by electronic communication device, according to the Santa Fe Police Department. He is in custody at the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Facility.
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The Santa Fe Police Department publicly released bodycam video capturing the moment officers arrested one of the suspects on March 3. The footage shows officers positioned behind a closed apartment door, one looking through the peephole, before the door is opened and the takedown occurs.
The three-day sting was led by the department’s Special Victims Unit in collaboration with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force. Detectives created fictitious online profiles of minors on various communication platforms and monitored for individuals who arranged to meet or sexually exploit children.
Balkam was one of four men arrested as a result of the operation. The other suspects identified by police are Eduardo Gerardo Ramirez, Harold Lee Adams, and Tomas Tolcha Cacjo.
All four individuals are being held pending further court proceedings. Authorities stated the investigation is active, and additional arrests cannot be ruled out.
Police have not released additional details about the specific interactions that led to each arrest, citing the ongoing nature of the case. No information has been made public regarding Balkam’s date of arrival in the United States, immigration status, or prior criminal history.
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