US DOJ Indictments Expose Crude and Amateurish Intelligence Operation
The recent indictments by the United States Department of Justice against Nikhil Gupta present a narrative that starkly contrasts with the sophistication expected in high-stakes espionage. According to serving and retired security establishment officials, if the allegations hold true, the operation appears to have been conceived and executed with a blatant disregard for the most basic principles of intelligence tradecraft.
Fundamental Violations of Tradecraft Rules
Experts point out that the operation, as described in FBI claims, brazenly violated every established rule in the book. "Forget a senior officer; any mid-level officer in an agency with knowledge would have shut it down instantly given the numerous red flags," remarked a retired government official. The recklessness observed is reminiscent of an overzealous operative in a terrible hurry, completely ignoring protocols that demand restraint and caution.
From the very beginning, the operation broke the cardinal rule of tradecraft: never directly link an agency to street-level activities. Department of Justice documents indicate that conversations unnecessarily involved direct engagements, which is a critical misstep in covert operations.
Direct Communications and Compromised Platforms
In standard intelligence practices, handlers avoid direct communication with low-level criminal intermediaries using traceable electronic means. However, DOJ records reveal that Vikash Yadav and Gupta exchanged routine messages on encrypted platforms that were evidently compromised. "Handlers typically use 'dead drops' or 'cut-outs'—multiple layers of individuals who do not know each other—to ensure that if one person is captured, the trail to the state ends immediately," explained an officer.
In a shocking lapse, Yadav reportedly sent his own contact information and even a selfie to Gupta. The photograph depicted him in an official military uniform with visible insignia. This single act effectively provided the FBI with the identity of the operative before the operation had even commenced. "In a genuine operation, a handler is a ghost; here, Yadav comes across as a digital pen pal. The trap was not just visible; it was screaming," commented another official.
Catastrophic Financial and Operational Missteps
When Gupta sought a hitman, he directly contacted a criminal associate who was, in reality, a confidential source for the US Drug Enforcement Agency. This source then introduced Gupta to a hitman who was actually an undercover DEA officer. An agency would typically spend months vetting such assets, but Gupta and Yadav rushed headlong into the ambush.
The financial aspects of the operation were equally disastrous. On June 9, 2023, conspirators arranged for an associate to hand over $15,000 in cash to the undercover agent in a car in Manhattan. This move was described as a "Financial Op-Sec suicide" by officials. By transferring physical cash in a heavily surveilled area like Manhattan to an unknown individual, they transformed a geopolitical plot into a common street crime captured on federal surveillance. In proper operations, funds for such activities are laundered through complex front companies or transferred via untraceable methods to avoid physical exposure.
Lack of Deniability and Narrative Surrender
Perhaps the most damning evidence of their continued recklessness was the aftermath of the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. Instead of going dark to avoid regional scrutiny, Yadav allegedly sent Gupta a video of Nijjar's bloodied body and a message stating that the New York target was now a priority. "By discussing an assassination so casually and explicitly linking the two hits, they surrendered all deniability and handed the DOJ the narrative of a transnational repression plot," an official stated.
By the time Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic, he was not a victim of a brilliant sting operation but rather the inevitable casualty of an eagerness—whose origins remain doubtful—that broke basic rules while the trap was being set in plain sight. The entire affair underscores a profound lack of professionalism and adherence to intelligence protocols, raising serious questions about the planning and execution of such sensitive operations.
