U.S. President Donald Trump has strongly condemned the killing of an Indian-origin man by an illegal immigrant in Texas, vowing harsh punishment for the accused and tougher enforcement against undocumented offenders. The BBC reported the incident on Monday.
Dallas police said that on September 10, 50-year-old Chandra Mouli Nagamallaya was brutally hacked to death with a machete by his co-worker, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, at the Downtown Suites Motel. The attack reportedly followed a heated argument over a broken washing machine. Nagamallaya’s wife and son were present during the murder.
Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to respond, writing:
“Under my administration, the time for being soft on illegal immigrant criminals is over.”
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Cobos-Martinez was living in the country illegally. A deportation order had previously been issued against him, but Cuba refused to take him back due to his criminal record. He was released under supervision in January.
Trump criticized the Biden administration for repeatedly releasing Cobos-Martinez despite his past arrests, including charges related to child abuse. The former president said the accused would face the maximum sentence under first-degree murder charges for the premeditated killing.
Nagamallaya, originally from Karnataka, India, moved to the U.S. in 2018 after completing his studies in Bengaluru. He lived in Dallas with his family, and his son had recently graduated high school and was preparing to enter college.
Authorities said Cobos-Martinez desecrated the victim’s body after the killing, reportedly kicking Nagamallaya’s head and rolling it like a ball. He is currently in custody at the Dallas County Jail.
Nagamallaya’s funeral was held on September 13 in Flower Mound, Texas, attended by relatives and friends.
