New arrest, troubles delaying investigation into 2022 Manitoba smuggling deaths revealed in warrant documents

The documents also provide a closer look into the years-long investigation — and shed light on some of the reasons why RCMP say it's taking so long.

It's been nearly five years since the frozen bodies of 39-year-old Jagdish Patel, his 37-year-old wife, Vaishali, and their two kids — 11-year-old Vihangi and three-year-old Dharmik — were found 12 metres from the U.S. border. They were trying to walk from Manitoba into Minnesota in January 2022 and became separated from a larger group of migrants.

In a trove of search warrant documents obtained by CBC News, RCMP said the unnamed driver arrested in February 2026 — one of the most recent updates made public in the case — is believed to have helped bring the Patels and other migrants to Winnipeg before their treacherous journey to the border.