The Department of Justice has announced the sentencing of two men involved in an international human smuggling conspiracy that ultimately resulted in the deaths of a family, including two young children. The case underscores the serious and often deadly consequences of illegal immigration schemes and the renewed focus under the Trump administration to enforce border security across all U.S. frontiers — not just the southern one.
Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, a 29-year-old Indian national who previously resided in Florida, was sentenced in the District of Minnesota to 10 years and one month in federal prison. Following the completion of his sentence, Patel will be removed from the United States.
Patel’s co-conspirator, 50-year-old Steve Anthony Shand, also from Florida, received a six-year, six-month sentence for his role in the same human smuggling operation.
According to the Department of Justice, the operation involved bringing Indian nationals into Canada using fraudulent student visas, then smuggling them across the northern U.S. border into states like Minnesota. Patel coordinated the logistics of the smuggling route with other associates based in Canada and the United States, while Shand was responsible for physically transporting the illegal entrants from the border to locations such as Chicago.
Authorities say both men were paid for their participation in the operation, showing a blatant disregard for the safety of the migrants — especially during winter conditions that are well-known to be life-threatening in northern states and Canadian provinces. The price tag for the smuggling service reportedly reached $100,000 per individual.
The case took a devastating turn in January 2022, when one of the smuggling attempts led to the deaths of a family of four, including an 11-year-old and a 3-year-old child, who froze to death after being left behind in sub-zero temperatures during a blizzard in Manitoba. This horrifying incident served as a turning point in the investigation, revealing just how reckless and dangerous the operation had become.
“Patel and Shand endangered thousands of lives for their personal enrichment and are responsible for the deaths of two small children who froze to death on their watch,” said Matthew Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case demonstrates the grave danger associated with human smuggling operations.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa Kirkpatrick for the District of Minnesota echoed the sentiment, placing a human face on the tragedy. “Every time I think about this case I think about this family — including two beautiful little children — who the defendants left to freeze to death in a blizzard,” she said. “As we’ve seen time and time again, human traffickers care nothing for humanity.”
Federal officials also emphasized the broader mission of President Donald Trump’s administration to restore order and safety to America’s immigration systems. With Trump returning to office earlier this year, there has been a renewed emphasis on curbing not only illegal immigration across the southern border but also trafficking operations at the northern border — an often-overlooked but increasingly exploited route.
Trump’s team, led by former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, has taken a hard stance on human trafficking and smuggling crimes, vowing to continue prosecuting offenders with full force.
The Justice Department credited cooperation between U.S. and Canadian law enforcement agencies for their successful investigation and prosecution of the case.
As both Patel and Shand head to federal prison, their sentencing serves as a sobering reminder of the real-world consequences of open-border policies and the criminal networks that prey on desperate individuals seeking to enter the United States illegally. The tragedy of this case reinforces the urgency of strong, consistent enforcement of immigration laws — not only to protect the nation’s borders but to prevent future humanitarian disasters.
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