Florida man arrested at U.S./Canada border, charged with human smuggling
Steve Shand, 47, of Deltona, Florida.
Homeland Security Investigations (HCI)
St. Paul, Minnesota - Steve Shand, 47, of Deltona, Florida was arrested, Jan. 19, 2022, in Pembina, North Dakota, as the result of a federal criminal complaint, charging him with human smuggling, according to Jamie Holt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and United States Attorney Charles J. Kovats.
According to court documents, on Jan. 19, law enforcement agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) HSI responded to a request for assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) based out of Pembina, North Dakota, after USBP initiated a traffic stop on a white fifteen passenger capacity van, less than one mile south of the U.S./Canadian border in a rural area between the official ports of entry located at Lancaster, Minnesota and Pembina, North Dakota. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Steve Shand, 47, a U.S. citizen. Law enforcement asked for identification of the two passengers in the van and determined them to be undocumented Indian nationals.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers discovered cases of plastic cups, bottled water, bottled juice, and snacks in the far rear of the passenger van, along with receipts dated January 18, 2022, for the drinks and snacks, and rental agreement receipts in Shand’s name for the van, with the return date listed for January 20, 2022. USBP agents arrested Shand for smuggling undocumented foreign nationals.
While Shand and the two passengers were being transported to the Pembina Border Patrol Station in North Dakota, law enforcement personnel encountered five additional Indian nationals, approximately a quarter mile south of the Canadian border, walking toward the area where Shand was arrested. They appeared to be headed to an unstaffed gas plant located in St. Vincent, Minnesota. The five Indian nationals explained that they had walked across the border, expecting to be picked up by someone, and estimated that they had been walking around for over 11 hours.
One of the group members was in possession of a backpack that did not belong to him. He told officials that he was carrying the backpack for a family of four Indian nationals who had been walking with his group of five but had become separated from them during the night. The backpack contained children’s clothing, a diaper, toys, and some children’s medication.
According to court documents, later during the day (January 19, 2022), USBP received a report from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that four deceased individuals had been found just inside the Canadian side of the international border. The deceased were tentatively identified as the family of four that was separated from the group of five. Two of the other surviving Indian nationals sustained serious injuries and were transported to a hospital.
“HSI was deeply saddened to learn of this tragedy. We send our condolences to the family of those who lost their lives,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt of HSI St. Paul. “These losses could have been prevented were it not for individuals concerned more for their own greed rather than the safety of others. HSI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners, and utilizing our unique investigative authorities, to bring to justice those responsible for tragedies like this.”
Shand is charged with one count of knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien had come to, entered, or remained in the United States, in violation of law, having transported, and moved or having attempted to transport and move such aliens. He made his first appearance in court on January 21, 2022 before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Hildy Bowbeer. Shand was ordered to remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing, which was scheduled for January 24, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. before Magistrate Judge Bowbeer. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by HSI with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Provinzino is prosecuting the case.
According to CTV News in Winnipeg, Canada, Shand's van was stopped by border patrol, about two kilometers (1.24 miles) south of the Canadian border (Province of Manitoba). The agency also reported that three bodies, which included a baby, were found north of the border, and the body of a boy, believed to be in his mid-teens, was found a short time later, and all the bodies were within 40 feet of the border, about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) east of Emerson, Manitoba, Canada. When mounties in Manitoba received the information about the backpack, shortly after 9:20 a.m., Jan 19, they began searching the area, and the first bodies were found around 1:30 p.m. It appeared that all had died from exposure to the cold weather.