A pair of human traffickers received sentences of 10 and 6.5 years on Wednesday following the deaths of an Indian family, including two children, who froze to death during a blizzard in 2022 while attempting to illegally cross the U.S.-Canada border. U.S. District Judge John Tunheim emphasized the tragic and avoidable nature of the incident, noting that it led to the deaths of four individuals, including two children.
Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, who is an Indian national, was sentenced to nearly 11 years in prison, while Steve Shand, a U.S. citizen from Florida, received a sentence of 6.5 years with two years’ supervised release. The men were found guilty of conspiracy to bring migrants into the country illegally by a jury in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Neither showed any visible emotions during the sentencing.
The family, consisting of Jagdish Patel, his wife Vaishaliben, their daughter Vihangi, and son Dharmik, died after a dangerous journey across the border. The group, which included 11 migrants, attempted the crossing in January 2022. Seven managed to reach safety in North Dakota, but the remaining four, including the Patel family, were found dead the next day by Canadian authorities.
Prosecutors claimed that Patel, also known as ‘Dirty Harry,’ organized the smuggling operation, while Shand acted as the driver. The smuggling ring was part of a larger international operation that transported Indian migrants into the U.S. The Department of Justice noted that the wind chill temperature on the day of the incident was -36 degrees, making the conditions extremely severe.
During the trial, testimony revealed that Patel and Shand were involved in an extensive smuggling network that transported over 500 Indian migrants across the U.S. border. The smugglers often profited from the migrants working low-wage jobs to pay off their debts, which could reach up to $100,000. The case highlights the ethical and legal implications of human smuggling and the dangers faced by those who fall victim to such operations.
In their statements, U.S. prosecutors and law enforcement officials condemned the actions of the smugglers, emphasizing the need for accountability and the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation. Jamie Holt, a U.S. ICE official, remarked on the importance of the sentencing in addressing the realities of human smuggling, while Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa Kirkpatrick expressed pride in the law enforcement efforts that led to the convictions.
The case has drawn attention to broader issues related to immigration and border security, with officials pointing to recent improvements in border control and efforts to combat human trafficking. As the U.S. continues to grapple with these complex issues, the sentencing of these smugglers serves as a reminder of the real-world consequences of illegal border crossings and the importance of legal immigration processes.