RCMP continue to seek information on Patel family a year after death

Manitoba RCMP are renewing calls for information about a migrant family’s time in Canada on the one-year anniversary of the four bodies being found near the U.S. border.

The Patel family, which included a father, mother and their two children, was found near Emerson, just metres from the border.

Police say they died from exposure.

RCMP believe the family’s trek to Canada from India and their attempt to illegally cross the border are part of a larger human smuggling network.

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An investigation has determined the family arrived in Toronto on Jan. 12, 2022 when they were picked up by a private vehicle.

The family stayed in southern Ontario until at least the 16th.

RCMP are still trying to determine how the family moved from Ontario to Manitoba before their bodies were found.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol says the family’s death hasn’t deterred others from attempting the same perilous trip.

They say they have seen an uptick in crossing attempts in the same area over the last three months.