KEY POINTS

  • The officials have recorded three arrests and a fourth one is pending
  • The rescued victims were given food, lodging and counseling
  • The joint operation was executed with the participation of 16 different agencies

Eight victims, including three children, were rescued and three people arrested in a successful human traffic operation Friday night, Attorney General’s office said.

The human traffic operation rescued a total of eight victims, including five women, a man, a two-year-old and an infant at two truck stops in St. Joseph -- Bucky's Travel Plaza and Love’s Travel Stop -- with the participation of 16 different agencies.

The joint operation was executed by St. Joseph Police Department, the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Missouri Attorney General’s Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, according to the news release from Attorney General’s office.

The officials have recorded three arrests as part of the operation and a fourth arrest is pending, reported local news outlet The Kansas City Star. The rescued victims were given food, lodging, medical services and drug counseling.

“Last night, my Office’s Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, in coordination with multiple law enforcement agencies, conducted a successful human trafficking operation at two truck stops in St. Joseph, resulting in six victims and two children being rescued and three arrests,” said Attorney General Eric Schmitt. “This unprecedented success should send clear a message to traffickers: you are not welcome in Missouri, and you can’t hide any longer,” Schmitt added.

In a similar incident in October 2020, five men were arrested in an alleged sex trafficking operation in Missouri. “The Hope” initiative launched by the Attorney General targeted illicit massage businesses that were engaged in human trafficking and advertising on illicit websites while posing as a legitimate business, reported local news outlet KRCG. The initiative rescued 10 women and offered them services including food, counseling and rehabilitation services. In addition to the rescued women, three children under the age of 5 were also taken into protective custody and were released to the Missouri Department of Social Services. The initiative also resulted in the closure of 23 illegal massage parlors in Missouri.

The state of Missouri reported 233 human trafficking cases in 2019, with 183 reports on sex trafficking cases, 21 cases of labor trafficking, 23 cases of trafficking type not specified and six cases of sex and labor.

police-378255_640 (3)
The human traffic operation rescued 8 people including two children and arrested 3 people in Missouri. pixabay
RELATED STORIES