Nebraska Part of 12-State Human Trafficking Effort
Authorities made 102 arrests and rescued 47 victims as part of a 12-state effort to combat human trafficking, Missouri’s top law enforcement official said Friday.
Most of the arrests occurred last Thursday night into Friday morning and came after a months-long investigation, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said.
“Operation United Front” was conducted in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and South Dakota, where authorities conducted their operation during this month’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
Undercover law enforcement officers from federal, state and local agencies arranged meetings with potential victims or posed as victims to identify buyers or traffickers, Schmitt said.
Two of the 47 victims were minors and they were rescued in Kentucky, which had the most arrests — 46 — and where 21 victims were rescued.
Nebraska conducted three sex trafficking operations as part of Operation United Front, according to a news release. Among other arrests, a man was arrested for seeking to purchase sex acts with a 15-year-old girl who was actually an undercover police officer.
Agencies participating included Nebraska State Patrol, Scottsbluff Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, South Sioux City Police Department, Sioux City Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Omaha FBI Field Office, and Nebraska Attorney General’s Office. The operations were conducted in Scottsbluff, Kearney, and South Sioux City.
The Daily Record contributed to this report.
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