Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, also known as “Dirty Harry,” is accused of human smuggling after four members of an Indian family he allegedly helped cross the U.S.-Canadian border died in blizzard conditions. Another man, Steve Shand, was also implicated in the smuggling operation and faces charges as well. Patel has a history of being denied U.S. visas and is in the country illegally. He is connected to a human trafficking group in India that brought migrants to Canada on student visas and then moved them to the Chicago area to work in Indian restaurants for low wages. Prosecutors allege that Shand was the one driving a van carrying illegal immigrants when it was stopped by Border Patrol in Minnesota.
The incident in which the Indian family died occurred when the group was walking for over 11 hours in subzero temperatures, resulting in severe cold-related injuries for some. One man in the group had paid a large sum of money to be smuggled into the U.S. and was carrying children’s clothes and a diaper for a family of four who had become separated from the group. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police later found the four dead just feet from the border in Manitoba. Messages between Shand and Patel indicated that they were aware of the blizzard conditions and were focused on not losing money in the smuggling operation.
The victims, Jagdish Patel, his wife Vaishaliben, their 11-year-old daughter Vihangi, and 3-year-old son Dharmik, were seeking a better life in the U.S. after working as teachers in their home village in Gujarat, India. The deaths of the family were described as “mind-blowing” by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The area where the family was found was dark, open, and covered in snowdrifts, leading to their inability to survive despite wearing winter clothing. Shand reported meeting Patel at a gaming establishment in Florida and being recruited to transport illegal immigrants across the border.
Shand admitted to being paid by Patel for multiple trips to the border in a 15-passenger van, dropping off passengers in Chicago at various locations. Patel will be appearing in federal court to face charges related to the human smuggling operation, while Shand is on trial for similar offenses after pleading not guilty. The case has shed light on the dangers faced by migrants seeking to enter the U.S. and the criminal networks that exploit them for profit. Investigators are working to dismantle these smuggling operations and hold those responsible for the deaths of the Patel family accountable for their actions.
