Suspects Plead Not Guilty in Human Smuggling Case Involving Family’s Death at Border

A man accused of helping smuggle people across the U.S.-Canada border into Minnesota, including four members of an Indian family who froze to death in 2022, pleaded not guilty on March 27 to seven counts of human smuggling. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 28, who prosecutors say went by the alias “Dirty Harry,” entered his plea during a brief teleconference with U.S. Magistrate Judge Leo Brisbois of Duluth. Steven Shand, 49, was hired by Mr. Patel to drive the Indian nationals from the Canadian border to the Chicago area, authorities said. Mr. Shand, of Deltona, Florida, pleaded not guilty during the same hearing to four counts contained in an updated indictment against them that was unsealed last week....