Iowa participates in 12-state operation targeting human trafficking

Authorities across 12 states made 102 arrests using simultaneous state-level operations to target human traffickers. Authorities said the operation also identified 47 victims of human trafficking.

In Iowa, 12 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in Iowa conducted 10 operations throughout the state, during which officers executed 10 search warrants, identified five businesses involved in sex trafficking, made 11 arrests and seized a large quantity of cash, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

The operation used both buyer-centric and victim-centric “sting” maneuvers, according to a news release from the Iowa Department of Public Safety, to identify and arrest perpetrators of human trafficking, as well as rescue and provide medical and other needed services to victims.

Named Operation United Front – and coordinated by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol – the operation is believed to be the first multi-state operation of its kind. Operations were conducted throughout the day Thursday, according to a news release, and stretched into Friday morning.

Iowa agencies that participated include: Iowa Department of Public Safety, Ankeny Police Department, Clive Police Department, Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, Des Moines Police Department, Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Urbandale Police Department, Walcott Police Department, West Des Moines Police Department, and the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force.

The United States Attorney’s Office, Polk County Attorney’s Office, and the Scott County Attorney’s Office assisted with warrants and future prosecution.

Outside of Iowa, 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.

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