Arrests made after several agencies conduct sex trafficking operation

LINCOLN, Neb. — A multi-agency sex trafficking operation makes several arrests Thursday night.

Nebraska conducted three sex trafficking operations as part of Operation United Front, a joint venture of 12 Midwest states.

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 three locations: Scottsbluff, Kearney, and South Sioux City.

Iowa law enforcement agencies also participated in the human trafficking operation coordinated by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol led to 102 arrests and identified 47 victims.

In addition to the Iowa Department of Public Safety and Iowa law enforcement agency partners, the following agencies conducted separate state-level operations including: Illinois State Police, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Missouri Attorney General’s Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Nebraska State Patrol, North Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Oklahoma City Police Department, Tulsa Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Texas Attorney General’s Office, Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation.

The operation, comprised of state and federal law enforcement agencies, is believed to be the first multi-state operation of its kind.