2 people convicted in human trafficking case after Indian family froze to death at the US-Canada border

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — Jury convicts two men on murder-related charges human trafficking For their role in an international operation that led to the death of a family of Indian immigrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-US border during a blizzard of 2022.

Indian citizen Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, who prosecutors say used the alias “Dirty Harry,” and Florida American Steve Shand, 50, were part of a sophisticated, illegal operation that brought growing numbers of Indians to the United States. prosecutors said.

Each was convicted of four counts related to human trafficking, including conspiracy to smuggle immigrants into the country illegally.

“This case exposed the unimaginable cruelty of human trafficking and criminal organizations that value profit and greed over humanity,” said Minnesota U.S. Attorney Andy Luger.

“To make a few thousand dollars, these traffickers put men, women and children in extraordinary danger, resulting in the horrific and tragic deaths of entire families. “Because of this unconscionable greed, a father, a mother, and two children froze to death in subzero temperatures on the Minnesota-Canadian border,” Luger added.

The most serious charges carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office told The Associated Press before the hearing. But federal sentencing rules are based on complex formulas. Luger said Friday that several factors will be taken into account in determining what sentences prosecutors will recommend.

Federal prosecutors say 39-year-old Jagdish Patel; His wife Vaishaliben, who is in her mid-30s; Their 11-year-old daughter, Vihangi; and his 3-year-old son, Dharmik, froze to death while trying to cross the Minnesota border on Jan. 19, 2022, in a scheme orchestrated by Patel and Shand. Patel is a common Indian surname and the victims are not related to Harshkumar Patel.

Local news reported that the couple were teachers. The family was quite well-off by local standards; He lived in a well-kept, two-story house with a front porch and a large porch.

Experts say illegal immigration from India is caused by everything from political pressures to a dysfunctional American immigration system that can take years, if not decades, to progress legally. Much of this is based on economics and how even low-paying jobs in the West can spark hopes for a better life.

An attorney testified at the federal trial in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, before a jury returned the verdict Friday. alleged participant A smuggling network surviving Your treacherous journey across the northern border, border patrol agents and forensic experts.

Defense attorneys squared off as Shand’s team argued that he had been unknowingly drawn into the scheme by Patel.

Patel’s lawyers, Canadian Press reportedHe said his clients were misidentified. They said the nickname Patel allegedly used on Shand’s phone, “Dirty Hary,” was a different person. They added that bank records and witness statements from those who encountered Shand near the border did not link him to the crime.

Prosecutors said Patel coordinated the operation while Shand was the driver. Prosecutors said Shand would pick up 11 Indian immigrants on the Minnesota side of the border. Only seven people survived the pedestrian crossing. Canadian authorities found two parents and their young child dead from the cold later that morning.

The hearing also included an insider account of how the international smuggling ring allegedly operates and who it targets.

Rajinder Singh, 51, said he made more than $400,000 by kidnapping more than 500 people through the same network that included Patel and Shand. Singh said most of the people he kidnapped came from the state of Gujarat. Migrants often pay smugglers about $100,000 to take them from India to the U.S., he said, where they work low-paying jobs in cities around the country to pay off their debts. Smugglers would manage their finances through “hawala”, an informal money transfer system based on trust, Singh said.

The illegal immigration pipeline from India has long existed but has increased sharply along the US-Canada border. The U.S. Border Patrol apprehended more than 14,000 Indians at the Canadian border in the year ending Sept. 30; This accounted for 60% of all arrests at the border and more than 10 times the figure two years ago.

The Pew Research Center estimates that by 2022, more than 725,000 Indians are living illegally in the United States, behind only Mexicans and Salvadorans.

Special Agent Jamie Holt of Homeland Security Investigations said the case is a reminder of the realities of what human trafficking victims face.

“Human trafficking is a vile crime that targets the most vulnerable people, exploiting their desperation and dreams of a better life,” Holt said. “The suffering of this family is unimaginable and it is our duty to ensure that such atrocities are met with the full force of the law.”

Kevin Paul, a juror from Clearwater, Minnesota, told reporters afterward that it was difficult for jurors to see photos of the family’s bodies. He said he grew up in North Dakota and knew the circumstances that led to their deaths.

“Pretty brutal,” Paul said. “I couldn’t imagine having to do what they had to do out there in the middle of nowhere.”

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