US jails 2 men for smuggling plot that froze Indian family at Canada border

Two men, including an Indian national, have been jailed in the US for a smuggling operation that led to the deaths of an Indian family of four who froze near the US-Canada border during a blizzard

Two men, including an Indian national, have been sentenced to prison in the United States for their roles in a human trafficking operation that caused the death of an Indian couple and their two children at the US-Canada border in January 2022.

 

Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, an Indian citizen living in Florida, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison. He will be deported after serving his jail sentence. His accomplice, 50-year-old Steve Anthony Shand, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, according to a statement from the US Department of Justice.

 

 

Both were involved in a smuggling network that brought Indian nationals to Canada on fake student visas and then helped them cross illegally into the United States.

Family froze to death near border

 

The case pertains to a tragic incident in January 2022, when four members of a family — Jagdish Patel, 39; Vaishaliben Patel, 37; their daughter Vihangi, 11; and son Dharmik, 3 — were found frozen to death near Emerson, Manitoba, about 12 metres from the US border. They had attempted to cross into the US on foot during extreme winter conditions.

 

Ramanlal Patel was arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in 2024 for his involvement in the smuggling scheme.

 

“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 US Attorney Lisa Kirkpatrick for the District of Minnesota.

 

“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,” she added.

Deadly smuggling route, ignored warnings

 

According to the Justice Department, Ramanlal Patel coordinated the movement of people from Manitoba into the US, while Shand picked them up just across the border and drove them to Chicago. Both men received payment for their roles, ignoring the life-threatening weather conditions.

 

Evidence at the trial revealed that smuggling someone from India to the US via Canada could cost as much as $100,000.

 

"Patel and Shand endangered thousands of lives for their personal enrichment and are responsible for the deaths of two small children who froze to death on their watch,” said Matthew R Galeotti, head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division.

 

“This case demonstrates the grave danger associated with human smuggling operations. I thank the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners in the US and in Canada who are working to secure the northern border and end the perilous smuggling of aliens into the United States,” he said.

Fatal journey in sub-zero temperatures

 

On January 18 and 19, 2022, despite multiple warnings about the extreme cold, Patel and Shand arranged for 11 people, including the Patel family, to be smuggled across the border on foot.

 

Shand had sent a weather alert to Patel warning of wind speeds up to 80 km/h and wind chill as low as -45°C. By the morning of January 19, temperatures had fallen to -36°C.

 

A US Border Patrol agent found Shand’s van stuck in the snow and arrested him along with two passengers. Despite Shand’s claim that no one else was out in the snow, five more people emerged from the surrounding fields. One of them, suffering from severe hypothermia, was flown to a hospital in St Paul, Minnesota.

 

Later that day, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) found the Patel family’s frozen bodies in a remote area on the Canadian side of the border. The youngest child, just three years old, was wrapped in a blanket, with his father’s frozen glove covering his face.

Convicted and held accountable

 

In November 2024, a federal jury found both men guilty of conspiracy to bring individuals into the US, causing serious injury, endangering lives, and attempting to transport individuals for financial gain. They were also convicted of aiding and abetting this illegal transport.

 

Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in St Paul described the sentencing as a key moment of justice.

 

“The callous disregard for life that led to the tragic deaths of an entire family will not be forgotten. At HSI, we remain steadfast in our mission to work with our partners across borders to dismantle criminal smuggling networks, bring justice to those responsible, and safeguard human dignity,” Holt said.

 

(With inputs from PTI)