12-state human trafficking operation nets rescue of 47 victims

Jennifer Bredow

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt says a 12-state law enforcement operation rescued 47 victims of human trafficking and led to the arrest of more than 100 people. Schmitt said most of the arrests were made Thursday night into Friday morning.

The effort, called Operation United Front, used undercover officers who arranged to meet potential human trafficking victims or who posed as victims to identify a buyer or trafficker.

In Missouri, two arrests were made and four victims were rescued at a Kansas City business.

The operation was conducted in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)