A backpack with baby items led the police to a devastating discovery

(CNN) - A backpack containing babies that was discovered during a smuggling investigation of people in Minnesota helped the police make a devastating discovery near the border between the United States and Canada.

The authorities found the remains of four people, including a baby, in a field near Emerson, Manitoba, said the Royal Police mounted from Canada (RCMP) on Thursday.The researchers believe they died frozen while trying to arrive in the United States, police said.

His remains were found meters from the border, police said, and an autopsy is pending.

"It's an absolute and heartbreaking tragedy," said the attached commissioner of the RCMP, Jane Maclatchy.

The search began on Wednesday morning, Maclatchy said, after the police received what he described as "worrying information" from the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) about a group of people) about a group of people) about a group of peoplethat had been arrested after crossing the United States from Canada.

"One of the adults carried articles for a baby, but...No baby was found with the group, "Maclatchy said.

The backpack contained a diaper, toys and medications

A group of the group, an Indian citizen identified in a Federal Judicial File of the US.UU.as V.D."He told the researchers that the backpack he had belonged to a family that had separated from the group.

The backpack, according to Thursday's file, contained children's clothes, children's medicines, a diaper and toys.

"V.D.He said he was carrying the backpack for a family of four citizens of India who had previously been walking with his group, "says the complaint, which appeared at the United States District Court for Minnesota."V.D.He said that his group had been separated from the family during the night and that he did not know where the family was ".

The victims were "left alone in the middle of a snowstorm"

That information caused a search that began rapidly on both sides of the border, Maclatchy said.The remains, a man, a woman, a baby and another man who believes he is a teenager, were found hours later, he said, and pointed out that Canadian researchers were still working to identify them.

"Please understand that it will have time to identify the names, ages and nationalities of these deceased victims," he said."They will also notice that I am using the term 'victims'.And that is on purpose ".

The researchers, he said, are worried because the attempt to cross "could have been facilitated in some way".

"We are very worried...That these people, including a baby, were left alone in the middle of a snowbish, when the weather was around -35 degrees Celsius, taking into account the wind, "he said."These victims faced not only the cold weather, but also to endless fields, great windows and total darkness".

The land was so remote and rugged, Maclatchy said, that the search equipment had to use all -terrain vehicles to access the area.

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"It's enormously difficult.The snow that blows covers things in minutes.The snow is deep.It is almost impossible to walk through it, "he said."Certainly, evidence can be lost in such conditions...It is a huge challenge ".

Police to potential immigrants: "You just don't do it"

Maclatchy told journalists that he had a message for any other person who is thinking about crossing the border between the United States and Canada in the area, either southern or north.

"You just don't do it," he said."Do not listen to anyone to tell you that it can take you to your destination safely.They can not.Even with proper clothes, it is not a possible trip ".

He observed the temperature of Thursday morning in the Emerson area: less 41 degrees Celsius with the thermal sensation.

"At this temperature, your skin will freeze in minutes," he said.“Yes, I understand that for some there may be a great need to reach another country, but this is not the way.If you try, you will be risking your life and the life of the people who care ".

An arrest while investigations continue

No one has been accused in relation to deaths.Maclatchy promised that the investigators would investigate all the angles of the case.

"We do not know how these people arrived in Emerson, but our researchers will certainly investigate all aspects of their deaths," he said."As we suspect that this group is linked to the people who are on the American side of the border, we are working closely with the US Customs and Border Protection office and the US National Security Department.UU.All our agencies are committed to thorough and complete investigation ".

On Thursday, Federal Prosecutors of the United States.UU.They announced that a Florida man who was found traveling on the American side of the border in a truck with two undocumented foreign citizens had been accused of people traffic.

Steve Shand, 47, was arrested by US border patrol agents.UU.on Wednesday in a rural area between the official border entrance ports in Lancaster, Minnesota, and Pembina, Dakota del Norte, according to the press release of the US Department of Justice.UU.

The two passengers of the truck were Indian citizens and were illegally in the United States, according to the complaint filed in the US District Court.UU.For Minnesota.

Shand is accused of a charge of "knowing or improving recklessly the fact that a foreigner had come, admitted or remained in the United States in violation of the law, transported and moved or tried to transport and move to said foreigner", according to the complaint.

He made his first appearance in the Court on Thursday and was ordered to remain in custody pending a hearing on January 24.Shand's lawyer has not yet responded to CNN's request.

Shand has not been accused in relation to deaths and there is an ongoing investigation.

The complaint filed against him in the Federal Court reveals details about the search that led to the finding.

The complaint describes research details

The complaint describes a group of five citizens of India, including V.D., allegedly found and arrested in the area when Shand and the passengers of the truck were transported to the Pembina border patrol station.

V.D.He told investigators that the group had been walking for approximately 11.5 hours and had crossed the border waiting for someone to pick them up, says the complaint.He also described the four -year -old family who said he had been separated from the group.

The complaint says that the border patrol received news from Canadian authorities about the remains found north of the border.

“The bodies were tentatively identified as the four -year -old family that was separated from the V group.D.At night, ”said the complaint.

Two people were transferred to the hospital

The authorities said the cold temperatures had affected the members of the group that had been arrested.

Two people had to be taken to the hospital for suspicion of freezing, and one of them, a woman, could lose part of her hand, says the complaint.

Meanwhile, the complaint says that there is an ongoing investigation into a larger complaint of smuggling of people.

One of the Indian citizens told the border patrol agents that he had paid a significant amount of money to enter Canada from India with a student visa obtained fraudulently, according to the complaint.

He added that he did not intend to study in Canada, says the complaint, but that he had planned to enter illegally.UU.And he had crossed the border standing waiting for someone who was supposed to take him to his uncle's house in Chicago.