Two men have been sentenced to prison in the United States for their roles in a deadly human smuggling operation that caused the tragic deaths of four Indian nationals, including two young children, near the U.S.-Canada border in 2022. The sentencing is a major step in the U.S. government’s fight against international human trafficking and border smuggling networks.
Who Are the Defendants?
Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, a 29-year-old Indian national, and Steve Anthony Shand, a 50-year-old man from Florida, were convicted by a jury for their roles in this illegal smuggling operation. Patel was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison and will be deported after completing his sentence. Shand received a sentence of six years and six months in prison followed by two years of supervised release.
The Deadly Smuggling Operation
In January 2022, Patel and Shand helped run a large human smuggling network that moved people from India to Canada using fake student visas. From there, the smugglers would sneak them into the United States across the freezing northern border. Patel handled the arrangements from Canada, while Shand picked up the migrants in Minnesota and drove them to Chicago. Each smuggling attempt could cost up to $100,000 per person.
Tragic Deaths in Freezing Weather
On January 18–19, 2022, Patel and Shand tried to smuggle 11 people into the U.S. on foot through a blizzard in Minnesota. Despite being warned about the dangerous cold, they went ahead. Shand even sent Patel a screenshot showing a blizzard warning with wind chill temperatures as low as -45°C. Tragically, a family of four—including an 11-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy—froze to death during the crossing. Their bodies were found by Canadian authorities near the border. The young boy was wrapped in a blanket with his father’s frozen glove over his face.
Convictions and Charges
In November 2024, a federal jury found both men guilty of several serious crimes. These included conspiracy to bring in undocumented migrants, putting lives in danger, transporting people for profit, and helping others in carrying out these illegal acts. These charges reflect the seriousness of their actions and the danger they caused.
Statements from Authorities
Government officials strongly condemned the smuggling operation. They said the deaths of the children showed the human cost of these crimes. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stressed the need to dismantle criminal smuggling groups that have no regard for human life. The Justice Department praised the cooperation between U.S. and Canadian law enforcement, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), for helping bring justice.
About Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA)
This case was part of the work of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), a program set up to fight international human smuggling and trafficking networks. JTFA works with various U.S. agencies like the FBI, Homeland Security, DEA, and law enforcement from countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, and Canada. So far, JTFA has helped arrest over 365 key figures in human smuggling, with hundreds of convictions and long prison sentences.
The Role of ECT and Operation Take Back America
This case also involved the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel (ECT) Strike Force, which focuses on high-risk human smuggling cases. It is part of Operation Take Back America—a national effort to eliminate smuggling networks and protect U.S. communities from violent crime and illegal immigration.
The sentencing of Harshkumar Patel and Steve Shand sends a strong message against the dangers and consequences of human smuggling. Their actions led to the heartbreaking deaths of innocent people, including small children, who were only seeking a better life. These convictions show the importance of international cooperation and firm legal action in the fight against human trafficking. The U.S. government remains committed to stopping such crimes and holding the people behind them fully responsible.
