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U.S. court sentences Indian-origin drug trafficker to 23 years
Federal authorities said the conspiracy moved nearly a ton of cocaine from California for distribution across the East Coast.
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Malvika Choudhary - Mon, 13, Jul 2026
- 15:46 EDT
- 47
CBP officers seized 22 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside speakers and amplifiers bound for Delhi. / Unsplash
An Indian origin man was sentenced to nearly 23 years in federal prison for leading a nationwide cocaine-trafficking conspiracy that transported nearly one metric ton of cocaine from California to the East Coast for distribution.
Brahmananda Prasad, 65, from Queens, New York, was sentenced on May 29 by U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika to 275 months in prison for his leadership role in the conspiracy, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Delaware and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia.
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The court also ordered the forfeiture of $2,495,500, representing the gross proceeds of Prasad's cocaine trafficking operation.
Federal investigators said Prasad was responsible for transporting at least 956 kilograms of cocaine from California to the East Coast between at least 2021 and his arrest, making it one of the largest drug-trafficking cases prosecuted in the District of Delaware in recent years.
The investigation involved surveillance, drug seizures, analysis of flight and shipping records, and a nearly four-month wiretap.
According to court documents, Prasad repeatedly traveled from New York to California to purchase large quantities of cocaine from suppliers. He routinely acquired between 20 and 24 kilograms of cocaine per trip and, on some occasions, purchased approximately 48 kilograms at a time.
Authorities said Prasad arranged for the drugs to be shipped from California to New York by directing associates to pose as representatives of a seemingly legitimate shipping company to avoid law enforcement detection.
Once the shipments reached the East Coast, he supplied cocaine to distributors in New York and Maryland, who then distributed the drugs in Delaware and other states.
"This sentence sends a clear message to those who would attempt to profit from poisoning our communities with dangerous drugs," HSI Philadelphia Acting Special Agent in Charge Nathan Abel said in a statement.
"Through persistent investigative work and strong partnerships with our law enforcement counterparts, HSI dismantled a coast-to-coast trafficking operation responsible for flooding the East Coast with staggering quantities of cocaine. We remain committed to holding traffickers accountable and protecting our neighborhoods from the devastating impact of narcotics distribution," Abel added.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace said Prasad "made millions by pumping poison into several states on the East Coast, Delaware included," adding that the sentence should serve as a warning to other large-scale drug traffickers whose operations reach the state.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Delaware as part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, a federal partnership targeting transnational criminal organizations, drug cartels, and cross-border trafficking networks.
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