Three Wisconsin men are among 14 people arrested in a human-trafficking sting in Illinois last month, according to a release on Wednesday.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said that the county's Special Investigations Group launched an operation over several days to “to suppress the demand for purchased sex," according to a release.

The officers made the bust at a hotel in Gurnee, Illinois.

The Wisconsin men arrested were identified as: Gregory Pahl, 53, of Twin Lakes; Roger Jimdar, 31, of Kenosha; and Sean O’Reilly, 43, of Greendale.

TARGETING 'JOHNS'

The sting was also part of a nation-wide operation involving multiple agencies and departments.

The effort specifically targeted customers of prostitutes known as "Johns."

The operation used classified ads to catch suspects. When the “Johns” arrived and offered money to the undercover detectives for sex, they were arrested and brought to the Lake County Jail.

Over the past nine years, the nationwide effort led to the arrests of more than 10,000 “Johns” and sex traffickers.