Florida man charged with human smuggling in NW MN

A 47 year old Florida man faces two counts of human smuggling after a traffic stop just south of the Canadian border in extreme northwest Minnesota.

According to the U.S Attorney’s office agents with the Border Patrol stopped a 15 passenger van east of the Pembina port of entry on January 19th.  The driver – identified as Steve Shand – had two passengers who were determined to be undocumented Indian nationals.

The U.S. Border Patrol was assisted on the scene by law enforcement agents with Homeland Security Investigations.

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U.S. Justice Dept. release:

Steve Anthony Shand, 47, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of human smuggling, announced Acting United States Attorney Charles J. Kovats.

According to court documents, on January 19, 2022, law enforcement agents with Homeland Security Investigations responded to a request for assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) based out of Pembina, North Dakota. USBP initiated a traffic stop on a white-colored, fifteen passenger 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. Shand was identified as the driver of the vehicle. Law enforcement asked for identification of the two passengers in the van and determined them to be undocumented Indian nationals. Shand was taken into custody by USBP agents.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Provinzino is prosecuting the case.