KANSAS CITY, Mo. — 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 Thursday night into Friday morning and came after a months-long investigation, according to state Attorney General Eric Schmitt.
Gregory Ortlip, a Maryland Heights police officer, was among those arrested. 5 on Your Side reported about the 23-year veteran officer's involvement with a minor on Thursday.
“Operation United Front” was conducted in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and South Dakota. In South Dakota, authorities conducted their operation during this month's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
In a release, Schmitt commended the collaboration between multiple agencies.
“When we all come together, we can affect change and more effectively fight human trafficking, a crime that is often multi-jurisdictional in nature,” Schmitt said in the news release.
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 from Kentucky. Kentucky had the most arrests, 46, and where 21 victims were rescued.
The Missouri investigation was conducted at a Kansas City business and led to two arrests and the rescue of four victims.
Here's a breakdown of numbers by state:
- Missouri: 2 arrests made, 4 victims rescued
- Illinois: 3 arrests made, 1 victim rescued
- Iowa: 11 arrests made, large amount of currency seized
- Kentucky: 46 arrests made, 21 victims rescued, 2 minor victims rescued
- Minnesota: 3 arrests made, 8 victims rescued
- Nebraska: 7 arrests made
- North Dakota: 3 arrests made, 6 victims rescued
- Oklahoma: 7 arrests made, 1 victim rescued
- Tennessee: 4 arrests made
- Texas: 2 arrests made, 4 victims rescued
- Wisconsin: 5 arrests made
- South Dakota: 9 arrests made
