Two Men Convicted in Human Smuggling Case Linked to Migrant Deaths
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. — A federal jury has found Harshkumar Patel and Steve Shand guilty on multiple charges related to a human smuggling operation that led to the tragic deaths of a family who froze while attempting to cross into the U.S. from Canada. The verdict, which took just over an hour after more than three days of testimony, includes conspiracy to transport noncitizens, causing serious bodily injury and jeopardizing lives, among other charges.
The incident occurred on January 19, 2022, when Patel allegedly paid Shand to pick up 11 migrants from Canada as a blizzard hit with temperatures plummeting below minus 33 degrees. Tragically, Jagdish Patel, 39, his wife Vaishaliben, 37, and their two children, Vihangi, 11, and Dharmik, 3, lost their lives in the cold. Authorities later found two other migrants in Shand’s van and five more who had been wandering in the snow, one of whom suffered severe frostbite.
Prosecutors argued that Patel prioritized profit over human lives, coordinating the passage of migrants from Florida starting in December 2021. Patel’s defense contended that he was not the same person communicating with Shand about the smuggling trips, while Shand’s attorney portrayed him as an unwitting participant in the scheme.
A key witness for the prosecution, former smuggler Rajinder Pal Singh, pointed to Fenil Patel, a fugitive in Canada, as instrumental in arranging the tragic events.
The presiding Judge John R. Tunheim denied a motion for mistrial concerning a witness’s undisclosed past misconduct, instructing the jury to consider this information regarding credibility. The case highlights the grave risks associated with human smuggling amid ongoing immigration debates.
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