FERGUS FALLS, Minn. — The trial is underway for two men accused of running a deadly human smuggling ring.
It’s been nearly three years since a family of four froze to death trying to cross the border illegally from Canada into northwest Minnesota.
ADVERTISEMENT
The week-long trial is being held in Fergus Falls, and cameras are not allowed in federal courtrooms. Jury selection started Monday.
Harshkumar Patel, 29, an Indian national, and Steve Shand, 50, of Florida, are both facing federal charges related to human smuggling.
The case dates to January 2022 when a couple and their two children were found dead just a few feet from the Canadian-Minnesota border, north of Lancaster, Minn.
Investigators said Jagdish Patel, 39, his wife, Vaishaliben, and their two two children, an 11-year-old daughter and 3-year-old boy, died of hypothermia after wandering fields for hours in a blizzard. The wind chill was 36 degrees below zero.
Jagdish Patel and his family are no relation to Harshkumar Patel.
They were part of a group of 11 trying to sneak into the U.S.
Federal prosecutors say Harshkumar Patel was the mastermind behind the smuggling plot, charging Indian nationals nearly $100,000 in some cases to come to Canada on student visas and then smuggle them into the U.S.
Shand was responsible for picking them up at the border, according to court documents.
ADVERTISEMENT
Released text messages between the two men from that night showed them discussing how cold it was, and to make sure the illegals were dressed warm for the weather because they weren’t going to lose money.
Prosecutors say the men had successfully smuggled dozens of others across the border in the month leading up to the deadly night.
Matt Henson is an Emmy award-winning reporter/photographer/editor for WDAY. Prior to joining WDAY in 2019, Matt was the main anchor at WDAZ in Grand Forks for four years.
