A Minnesota jury has convicted two men of charges related to human smuggling after their involvement in a scheme that resulted in the deaths of an Indian family attempting to cross the U.S.-Canada border during a blizzard in January 2022.
Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, an Indian national known by the alias “Dirty Harry,” and Steve Shand, 50, a Florida resident, were identified as key players in a smuggling operation that has facilitated the illegal entry of increasing numbers of Indian migrants into the United States, according to federal prosecutors.
The tragedy occurred on January 19, 2022, when a family of four—39-year-old Jagdish Patel, his wife Vaishaliben, their 11-year-old daughter Vihangi, and 3-year-old son Dharmik—froze to death while attempting to cross the border into Minnesota. Prosecutors alleged that the operation was coordinated by Patel, while Shand served as a driver. Notably, the Patel family was not related to Harshkumar Patel despite sharing the surname.
During the federal trial in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, jurors heard testimony from a survivor of the perilous crossing, border patrol agents, forensic experts, and an alleged member of the smuggling ring. The court learned that Shand had been tasked with picking up 11 Indian migrants on the Minnesota side of the border, but only seven survived the dangerous trek. Canadian authorities later discovered the bodies of the Patel family, who had succumbed to the extreme cold.
The defense teams for the accused presented conflicting arguments. Shand’s attorneys claimed he was unknowingly drawn into the operation by Patel, while Patel’s lawyers asserted he had been falsely identified. They argued that “Dirty Harry,” the nickname allegedly associated with Patel in Shand’s phone records, referred to someone else entirely. Defense counsel also contended that bank records and testimony failed to directly implicate Shand in the crime.
Despite these arguments, prosecutors maintained that Patel orchestrated the smuggling network and that Shand played a critical role in transporting the migrants. The jury’s verdict brings an end to the trial but underscores the broader issue of human smuggling and its often devastating consequences.
