Two men have been found guilty by a Minnesota jury for their involvement in a human smuggling operation that resulted in the tragic deaths of an Indian family attempting to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a severe blizzard in 2022. The convicted individuals are Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, a 29-year-old Indian national known as 'Dirty Harry,' and Steve Shand, a 50-year-old American from Florida.
According to federal prosecutors, Patel and Shand were part of a sophisticated illegal network responsible for smuggling increasing numbers of Indian migrants into the United States. The tragic incident occurred on January 19, 2022, when a family of four, including 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.
The federal trial held in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, featured testimony from various witnesses, including a survivor of the smuggling ring, border patrol agents, and forensic experts. During the trial, defense attorneys presented conflicting arguments, with Shand's legal team claiming he was unknowingly drawn into the scheme by Patel. On the other hand, Patel's lawyers disputed his involvement, stating that the nickname 'Dirty Harry' found in Shand's phone did not refer to their client.
Prosecutors alleged that Patel served as the coordinator of the operation, while Shand acted as a driver tasked with picking up 11 Indian migrants on the Minnesota side of the Canadian border. Tragically, only seven individuals survived the perilous journey on foot, with Canadian authorities discovering the deceased parents and their young children later that morning.
