Two men were sentenced to years in federal prison this week for their roles in a smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of a family of four, including two young children, at the Minnesota-Canada border.
Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, was sentenced to 121 months, 10 years, in prison for his role in the human smuggling scheme. The court did not impose a term of supervised release on Patel, citing the likelihood that he will be deported following his prison sentence. Patel’s co-conspirator, Steve Anthony Shand, 50, received a sentence of 78 months, 6.5 years, followed by 2 years of supervised release.
Both men were found guilty by a federal jury in November 2024 on charges of conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, conspiracy to transport aliens within the United States causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, attempted transportation of aliens for commercial advantage or private financial gain, and aiding and abetting the attempted transportation of aliens.
During sentencing Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge John R. Tunheim explained that “border smuggling is a very serious problem,” one that “exploits victims.”
He noted that the night the family died was one “one of the coldest nights of the winter” and that these were “very dangerous conditions.” Judge Tunheim said that the defendants “could have done something” and it “might have made a difference”—but they did nothing.
The victims were previously identified as Jagdishkumar Patel, 39, Vaishaliben Patel, 37, and their two children, 11-year-old Vihangi Patel and 3-year-old Dharmik Patel.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office:
“Trial evidence showed that Patel and Shand were involved in a major human smuggling operation that brought Indian nationals into Canada using fake student visas then illegally moved them across the U.S.-Canada border. Patel handled the coordination of smuggling individuals from Manitoba into the United States, while Shand picked them up after they crossed into the U.S. and transported them to Chicago. Both men were paid for their participation and ignored the life-threatening risks posed by the frigid conditions at the northern border. Testimony revealed that the going rate to be smuggled from India to the U.S. from Canada was around $100,000.
During a blizzard in January 2022, Shand and Patel, working with other co-conspirators, attempted to smuggle 11 aliens into the United States from Canada. Due to the storm conditions that night, Shand’s van got stuck in the snow. That turn of events forced the aliens to travel on foot for approximately seven hours in minus-36-degree wind chill and severe winter weather conditions while they searched for Shand’s vehicle. Two migrants found Shand while his van was stuck; the rest did not.
A passerby pulled Shand’s van from the ditch. Soon thereafter, a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent arrived and suspected alien smuggling. Eventually, five additional aliens were located, one of whom was suffering from hypothermia so severe she had to be airlifted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul. Meanwhile, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police located the bodies of a family of four, two adults and two young children, who had separated from the larger group during the night. The family died of hypothermia. The father was found still holding his infant child wrapped in a blanket. None of the 11 migrants was dressed appropriately for the severe, cold weather conditions.”
“Every time I think about this case I think about this family—including two beautiful little children—who the defendants left to freeze to death in a blizzard,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa Kirkpatrick. “As we’ve seen time and time again, human traffickers care nothing for humanity. I am proud of the work of our law enforcement partners in holding these defendants accountable for their unspeakable crimes.”
