2 men on trial for death of Indian family smuggled across US-Canada border

A federal trial began on Monday in Minnesota for Steve Shand, 50, and Harshkumar Patel, 29, who are accused of running a human smuggling operation that led to the deaths of four Indian nationals near the U.S.-Canada border in January 2022. Prosecutors allege the men placed financial profit over human lives, smuggling migrants in dangerous winter conditions.

Catch up: The frozen bodies of Jagdish Patel (39), his wife Vaishali (37), their daughter Vihangi (11) and their son Dharmik (3) were discovered on Jan. 19, 2022, in Manitoba, Canada, just 12 meters (39.4 feet) from the U.S. border. The family, part of a group of 11 migrants, faced minus 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) wind chills during a blizzard as they attempted to meet Shand, who allegedly waited in a van south of the border. Witnesses compared the scene to an arctic tundra, with prosecutor Ryan Lipes highlighting the tragedy as a result of profit-driven recklessness. Lipes also noted that the father’s body was found clutching his young son in a desperate attempt to shield him from the cold.
About the suspects and their trial: Prosecutors allege that Harshkumar Patel — who is unrelated to the family and had used multiple aliases — coordinated smuggling operations with Canadian counterparts, hiring Shand to drive migrants across the border, including during at least five trips in late 2021 and early 2022. Both men have pleaded not guilty: Shand’s attorney claims he was unwittingly manipulated by Patel, while Patel’s lawyer denies any involvement in the conspiracy. Graphic photos of the Patel family and text messages showing the defendants’ awareness of the dangers were presented to jurors this week, while testimony from surviving migrants and law enforcement is expected to continue during the five-day trial.

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