A Department of Homeland Security employee working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement was arrested in Minnesota during a multi-day sex-trafficking sting, authorities confirmed.
At a Tuesday press conference, Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said investigators carried out “Operation Creep” between 5–8 November, using multiple tactics to identify and arrest 16 men who allegedly attempted to solicit sex from a 17-year-old girl.
One of those arrested was an ICE auditor who may now face federal charges, Hodges said.
“When he was arrested, he said, ‘I’m ICE, boys,’” the chief recounted. “Unfortunately for him, we locked him up.”
Several other suspects were later handed over to ICE agents. Hodges noted that local police do not have real-time tools to confirm a person’s federal employment.
He also pressed lawmakers to introduce measures preventing online platforms from enabling this kind of activity, saying current rules leave too much room for abuse.