Florida man charged after 4 found dead at Canada-u.s. border
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA » A Florida man has been charged with human smuggling after the bodies of four people, including a baby and a teen, were found in Canada near the U.S. border in what authorities believe was a failed crossing attempt during a freezing blizzard.
Steve Shand, 47, was charged Thursday with human smuggling after seven Indian nationals were found in the U.S. and the discovery of the bodies, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
Court documents filed Wednesday in support of Shand’s arrest allege one of the people spent a significant amount of money to come to Canada with a fraudulent student visa.
“The investigation into the death of the four individuals in Canada is ongoing along with an investigation into a larger human smuggling operation of which Shand is suspected of being a part,” John Stanley, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, said in court documents.
Shand could not be immediately reached for comment. There was no immediate response to an email and phone message to the federal public defender’s office, listed in court documents as representing Shand.
“This is absolutely a mind blowing incident,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during an appearance Friday in Ottawa. Traffickers took advantage of their desire to build a better life, he said.
“This is why we are doing everything we can do discourage people from trying to cross the border in irregularly or illegal ways,” the prime minister said.
According to documents, a U.S. Border Patrol in North Dakota stopped a 15-passenger van just south of the Canadian border on Wednesday. Shand was driving and court documents allege he was with two Indian nationals.