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Nearly three years after the tragic deaths of an Indian family attempting to cross the border between Manitoba and Minnesota, two men are set to stand trial in Minnesota on human smuggling charges.
Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel and Steve Shand are accused of orchestrating a smuggling operation that used student visas to bring Indian nationals into Canada before illegally transporting them across the U.S. border. Both men have pleaded not guilty to charges that include conspiracy to transport individuals in a manner causing serious bodily harm and endangering lives.
Tragedy Amid Blizzard Conditions
Prosecutors allege that Patel coordinated with smugglers in Canada to drop migrants near the border, where they would walk into the U.S. to be picked up by Shand. On January 19, 2022, under extreme blizzard conditions with wind chills below -35°C, this smuggling operation turned fatal.
Court documents describe how the frozen bodies of Jagdish Patel, 39; his wife, Vaishaliben, 37; their 11-year-old daughter, Vihangi; and their 3-year-old son, Dharmik, were found just meters from the border near Emerson, Manitoba. The family was part of an 11-member group attempting to cross the border unnoticed.
“Despite knowing the risks, they had the migrants cross,” states a trial brief submitted by prosecutors.
While two members of the group managed to reach Shand’s van, others were stranded in the deadly cold. Five survivors eventually emerged from the fields, including one woman who suffered severe frostbite and hypothermia.
Ongoing Investigations and Evidence
RCMP in Manitoba have yet to make arrests north of the border, but investigations into the broader smuggling network are ongoing.
Evidence presented at the trial is expected to include text messages between Patel and Shand, in which they discuss severe weather conditions and logistics for migrant pickups. Prosecutors claim the duo smuggled dozens of individuals across the border in the weeks leading up to the tragedy.
Impact on Families
The Patel family hailed from Dingucha, a small village in Gujarat, India. According to Baldev Patel, the father of Jagdish, his son sought better opportunities after struggling with various jobs in India. The family had contacted him after arriving in Canada, expressing hope about reaching the United States.
The trial is scheduled to last five days and may feature testimony from a former member of the alleged smuggling operation.
Source: The Canadian Press
