Man Arrested for Human Smuggling After Discovery of 4 Bodies at Canadian Border

PEMINA, ND (trfnews.i234.me) A Florida man has now been charged with Human Smuggling, after the bodies of 4 people, who likely died from exposure were found along the Canadian border near Emerson, Manitoba.
a florida man has now been charged with human smuggling after four bodies were found near emerson manitoba they apparently died from exposure this from the department of justice a federal criminal complaint has been filed against a florida man charging him with human smuggling announced acting united states attorney charles kovats according to court documents on january 19th law enforcement agents with homeland security investigations responded to a request for assistance from the u.s border patrol based out of pimpin they initiated a traffic stop on a white colored 15 passenger van less than one mile south of the u.s canadian border in a rural area between the official ports of entry uh located at lancaster minnesota and pemberton north dakota the driver of the vehicle was identified as steve shand 47 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 discovered cases of plastic cups bottled water bottle juice and snacks located in the extreme rear of the passenger van law enforcement also discovered receipts dated january 18th for the drinks and snacks and a rental agreement receipt in shan’s name for the van with the return date listed for january 20th uh u.s border patrol arrested shan for smuggling undocumented foreign nationals while shand and the two passengers were being transported to the podem pembina border patrol station in north dakota law enforcement encountered five additional indian nationals approximately a quarter mile south of the canadian border walking in the direction of where shand was arrested they appeared to be headed to an unstaffed gas plant located in saint vincent minnesota the five indian nationals explained that they had walked across the border expecting to be picked up by someone the group estimated they had been walking for over 11 hours one of the group members was in possession of a backpack that did not belong to him he stated he was carrying the backpack for a family of four indian nationals that had earlier walked with his group but had become separated during the night the backpack contained a children’s clothes a diaper toys and some children’s medication according to court documents later in the day on january 19th the border patrol received a report from the royal canadian mounted police that four bodies were found just inside the canadian side of the international border the bodies were tentatively identified as the family of four that was separated two of the surviving indian nationals sustained serious injuries and were transported to a hospital it’s believed that those who died died from exposure in very cold temperatures 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 court appearance today before u.s district court magistrate uh judge uh beauvier shand was ordered to remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for january 24th the case is the end result of an investigation conducted by u.s customs and border protection and homeland security investigation i’m Neil Berg reporting for trfnews.i234.me