A major anti-human trafficking operation in Nebraska led to the arrest of five criminals who owned and operated multiple hotels across the Omaha area. The operation also brought home ten children under the age of 12 who were being forced to work at the hotels for little to no pay under brutal conditions.
For background, on August 12, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska confirmed the success of a human trafficking sting that centered around four different hotels in and near Omaha, Nebraska. The federal operation brought down a network of traffickers who were engaging in labor trafficking and exploitation of both minors and adults.
Explaining the successful operation in an August 12 press release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office outlined how a group of five individuals engaged in a scheme that involved “putting children under the age of twelve years old to work at the hotels for long hours with little to no pay.” Moreover, according to the press release, 17 adult victims were also rescued, thanks in part to “online reviews for the hotel locations.”
Furthermore, the five arrested individuals have been accused of also engaging in an illicit trafficking conspiracy that “victimized both minors and adults.” According to the press release, “Sex trafficking was not only allowed at the hotels according to complaint affidavit allegations but also encouraged, protected from law enforcement detection, and sex trafficking victims at the hotels were subjected not only to the traditional perpetrators of a sex trafficking scheme but also to hotel management and employees victimizing them as well.”
In addition, the press release detailed how multiple “vigilant citizens” had helped federal agents track down and arrest the traffickers by making “complaints to Human Trafficking Hotlines about child workers and sex trafficking issues at one or more of these hotels.”
Reflecting on the success of the operation, United States Attorney Lesley Woods said, “There is no evil greater than the evil that seeks to trap, oppress, and exploit human beings for profit or pleasure.” She continued, “Where that evil exists, Nebraska law enforcement working together at the federal, state, and local levels, as occurred in this case, will seek it, find it, root it out, and ensure every rescued victim has an opportunity to obtain justice and freedom from their captors.”
Moreover, Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel, the head of the Omaha FBI Field Office, called human trafficking “a form of modern-day slavery,” adding, “This investigation revealed victims right here in the heart of the heartland forced into sexual activity, living and working in dangerous and filthy conditions, and extorted to work in grueling jobs with little to no pay.”
Concluding his comments, Special Agent in Charge Kowel said that his agency “will always stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners to aggressively identify and apprehend perpetrators of human trafficking, hold them accountable, and obtain justice for victims.” He added, “We will continue to surge resources to arrest violent offenders in our community as part of the FBI’s Summer Heat Initiative.”
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