‘Preventable Slaying’: US Homeland Security Blames Biden Policy for Indian Man’s Beheading in Dallas
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has condemned the gruesome beheading of an Indian national in Dallas as a “preventable” act of savagery, squarely blaming the previous Biden administration’s immigration policies for allowing the alleged killer to remain in the country. The statement came as President Donald Trump also weighed in, vowing to prosecute the suspect to the fullest extent of the law and decrying the release of “barbaric criminals” into American communities.
Chandra Mouli Nagamallaiah, 50, a motel manager originally from Karnataka, was brutally killed with a machete on Wednesday, allegedly by his Cuban co-worker, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37. The horrific attack, which took place in front of Nagamallaiah’s wife and son, reportedly stemmed from an argument over a broken washing machine.
In a strongly worded post on X, the DHS labeled the accused a “vile monster” who should never have been in the United States. The department stated that Cobos-Martinez was an “illegal alien” who had a final order of removal, but Cuba had refused to accept his return, forcing his release on supervision in January 2025 under the Biden administration.
“This gruesome, savage slaying… was completely preventable if this criminal illegal alien was not released into our country,” the DHS statement read. “This is exactly why we are removing criminal illegal aliens to third countries… President Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem are no longer allowing barbaric criminals to indefinitely remain in America.”
President Trump echoed this sentiment on his Truth Social platform, calling the killing a “brutal beheading” of a “well-respected person in Dallas” by someone who “should never have been in our Country.” He criticized the previous administration for releasing Cobos-Martinez, who had a prior criminal record including alleged child abuse, despite Cuba’s refusal to take him back. “The time for being soft on illegal immigrant criminals is over under my watch,” Trump declared.
The incident unfolded at the Downtown Suites motel where both men worked. According to an arrest affidavit, Nagamallaiah had instructed Cobos-Martinez not to use a malfunctioning washing machine. When Nagamallaiah asked a female colleague to translate for him, Cobos-Martinez became enraged.
Surveillance footage captured the horrific sequence of events that followed. Cobos-Martinez is seen retrieving a machete, chasing Nagamallaiah, and attacking him. Despite the desperate attempts of the victim’s wife and 18-year-old son to intervene, the assault continued until Nagamallaiah was decapitated. Police said the accused then kicked the severed head in the parking lot before attempting to dispose of it in a dumpster.
Cobos-Martinez, covered in blood, was arrested at the scene and has since been charged with capital murder. He is being held without bond in the Dallas County Jail.
Chandra Nagamallaiah, known as ‘Bob’ to friends and family, had moved to the US in 2018 and had been managing the motel for five years. His son, Gaurav, recently graduated from high school and was preparing to study hospitality management, inspired by his father. A fundraiser for the family has raised nearly ₹3 crore to support them in the aftermath of the tragedy.
The Indian Consulate General in Houston has expressed its condolences and is closely following the case. As the legal process begins, the horrific crime has been seized upon by the Trump administration as a stark example of what it argues are the fatal consequences of lenient immigration enforcement.
