Indian-Origin Human Smuggler Sentenced 10 Years US-Canada Border Deaths

Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, an Indian-origin man, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison for masterminding a human-smuggling operation that led to the death of a family of four from Gujarat, India, who froze to death while crossing the US-Canada border in a blizzard in January 2022. His accomplice, Steve Anthony Shand, was sentenced to six years and six months. The family, including two children, died in extreme cold conditions while attempting to cross from Manitoba into the United States; their bodies were found just meters from the border. The operation involved bringing people from India to Canada on visas, then smuggling them across the border on foot under dangerous conditions, with survivors testifying that they were directed to walk in a straight line through a snowstorm towards a van on the US side. The judge condemned the smugglers’ callous disregard for human life, and prosecutors highlighted the tragic loss of the family, especially the children. Patel's legal team plans to appeal the conviction, despite the jury's finding of guilt and the judge's refusal to set aside the verdict.