Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Kansas City’s acting Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Taekuk Cho announced the results of a joint, HSI led, human trafficking operation May 5. The operation was initiated by the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Kansas City Heartland Anti-Trafficking Rescue Taskforce and focused on identifying and rescuing victims who were being trafficked for sexual exploitation. At its culmination, HSI, with the assistance of the Independence Police Department, arrested 22 individuals and rescued two trafficking victims.

“When individuals think of human trafficking it often conjures up images of popular Hollywood movies that usually take place overseas, but in actuality this crime is happening right here in the Heartland,” said Taekuk Cho, HSI’s Acting Special Agent in Charge for Kansas City area of operations. “That’s why educating the community on what human trafficking looks like, the efforts HSI and our law enforcement partners are making to eradicate the crime, and how to report it is so vitally important.”

From April 25-26, HSI and the IPD utilized undercover officers to make contact with suspected sex trafficking victims. During this operation, suspects chatted on several social media platforms with undercover agents and investigators who posed as sex buyers. Authorities arrested the suspects as they arrived at a pre-arranged meeting place for an encounter.

HSI Kansas City is a leader in the global fight against human trafficking. HSI special agents utilize their broad range of authority and international footprint to identify, investigate and disrupt domestic and transnational criminal organizations engaged in human trafficking. Special agents work closely with the HSI Victim Assistance Program to ensure that human trafficking victims are afforded their rights and have access to the services to which they are entitled by law. Moreover, HSI provides expertise and leadership to other federal, state, local and international law enforcement partners by organizing training on strategies and best practices that can be utilized to counter this heinous crime of exploitation.

Members of the community can report crimes, suspicious activity, and suspected human trafficking to the HSI Tipline at 866-347-2423.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story