Men Convicted in Deadly Human Smuggling Case

Two men, Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, an Indian national known by the alias 'Dirty Harry', and Steve Shand, an American from Florida, have been convicted by a Minnesota jury of charges related to human smuggling. They were involved in a sophisticated operation that resulted in the deaths of an Indian family during a blizzard on January 19, 2022, as they attempted to cross the Canada-US border. The Patel family—Jagdish, Vaishaliben, and their children Vihangi and Dharmik—tragically froze to death. Prosecutors revealed that Patel coordinated the operation while Shand acted as a driver, picking up migrants on the US side. Despite defense claims of misidentification and coercion, the prosecution used cell phone data and witness testimonies to establish their roles. Both men face up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing to consider various factors.