FERGUS FALLS, Minn. — Two men have been convicted on four counts of human smuggling for their roles in a cross-border operation that led to the tragic deaths of a family of four, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced Friday.
Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, also known as “Dirty Harry” or “Harry Patel,” and Steve Anthony Shand, 50, were found guilty after a five-day federal trial in U.S. District Court. Prosecutors revealed that between December 2021 and January 2022, the two men conspired to smuggle Indian nationals from Canada into the United States, including coordinating logistics, transporting individuals across the border, and receiving payments for their involvement.
The case gained national attention after the events of January 19, 2022, when U.S. Border Patrol agents stopped a 15-passenger van driven by Shand near the U.S.-Canada border in rural Minnesota. Five Indian nationals were discovered walking nearby in subzero temperatures, having crossed the border expecting to be picked up. The group, which had been walking for over seven hours in -36 degree weather, carried a backpack with children’s clothing and supplies intended for another family.
Canadian authorities later found the bodies of a family of four—two adults and two children—frozen near the border, a grim outcome attributed to the smuggling network. Prosecutors presented evidence that Patel and Shand were paid to smuggle the family into the United States as part of their operation, which exploited migrants and subjected them to extreme risks.
“This trial exposed the unthinkable cruelty of human smuggling,” said U.S. Attorney Luger. “Today, we have brought those responsible to justice.”
The case was part of a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Border Patrol, with assistance from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Chief Patrol Agent Scott D. Garrett warned, “Anyone who puts their lives in the hands of a smuggler is putting their life, and the lives of their family, at risk.”
Patel and Shand face sentencing at a later date, where they could receive significant prison terms for their roles in the deadly operation.