Human trafficking, prostitution sting near The Woodlands nets 75 arrests

Five human trafficking victims were recovered and 75 people were arrested in a month-long prostitution sting that recently ended, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office announced Monday.

>>> SEE THE MUGSHOTS less Five human trafficking victims were recovered and 75 people were arrested in a month-long prostitution sting that recently ended, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office announced Monday.

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A human trafficking and prostitution sting in The Woodlands area last month netted 75 arrests and the recovery of five trafficked individuals, one of which was a juvenile.

During a press conference Monday, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office released the details of Operation Cross County where officials work with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to address the growing problem of human trafficking in Montgomery County. Several non-governmental organizations were also involved in the operation.

Agencies working with sheriff’s office were the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, Houston Police Department, Conroe Police Department, Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office, the Department of Public Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Attorney General’s Office, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. State Department.

According to sheriff’s Lt. Tim Cannon, the sting ran from Oct. 15-30. Undercover agents, Cannon added, posed as sex workers and Johns, using the Internet to find individuals who were seeking sexual favors for money.

“It was created to actively oppress sexual exploitation and human trafficking in and around Montgomery County,” Cannon said. “We also focused on possible victims and underage person who might have been involved as well. These concerns have been brought to light through law enforcement investigations and citizens’ complaints.

“Many persons in this illicit industry are forced into trafficking themselves by other through force, fraud or coercion.”

Of the 75 arrests, Cannon said 32 were men, 11 of which were pimps. He added 28 were woman, with some of the women in possession of controlled substances and/or handguns.

Sheriff Rand Henderson said he was “so proud” of the work that was done. He said when he took office in 2017, his department recognized different growing crime trends including human trafficking with a goal to address them aggressively.

“This was a great opportunity,” Henderson said of working with other agencies.

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Henderson said what has been traditionally known as prostitution has evolved into human trafficking with most of the sex workers being trafficked individuals. That, he said, has changed how investigators operate stings.

One key aspect has been interviewing the sex workers after and arrest to determine who has forced them into prostitution.

“While we netted 75 arrests, I think identifying the true victims is what made this worthwhile,” Henderson said. “We are really proud of the work done and they deserve all the credit. We also want to send a message that we are not going to put up with kind of activity not just in Montgomery County, but this entire region.”

Special Agent Lt. Theo Williams with Federal Bureau of Investigation in Houston encouraged residents to be watchful of suspicious activity.

“Your tips, your information is something that helps us out greatly,” he said. “We can’t do it without you. We need more public participation to help us fight human trafficking not only in Montgomery County and around the county.”

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Houston Police Lt. Angela Merritt said it was important to bring justice to the victims rescues during the sting.

“It has been a pleasure and service to come together to defeat this problem,” she said. “This shows that human trafficking is not only prolific in the inner city but in surrounding counties as well.”

Special Crimes Bureau Chief Tyler Dunman with the Montgomery County DA’s office said echoed Merritt that human trafficking is a serious issue in Montgomery County and praised Henderson for organizing the sting.

“I stand with the sheriff and I know District Attorney Brett Ligon does too, that when you are arrested in an operation like this you will face a stiff penalty in Montgomery County on behalf of the DA’s office,” he said. “We are looking forward to presenting those cases to a Montgomery County jury and allowing punishment to take place at that time.”

cdominguez@hcnonline.com

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