Five people face charges in a human trafficking case involving minors as young as 12, linked to motels and “brow and lash” salons in Omaha, Nebraska. The FBI-led Investigation was on-going for around four years, involving 11 agencies and around 300 law-enforcement officers.
Authorities say the case only came to light because members of the public spoke up—underscoring the importance of awareness building on what trafficking looks like.
“absolutely horrific”
The five people arrested owned, operated, and managed the hotels, the Nebraska Examiner reports. Charges include labor trafficking, trafficking for sexual exploitation, visa fraud, money laundering, and harboring undocumented migrants.
The case accelerated earlier this year when an alleged juvenile sexual exploitation incident was uncovered at one of the hotels. Investigators also found evidence of “sex for rent,” drug activity, and other crimes. A federal source reported seeing migrants sleeping on the floor with cockroaches crawling over them in one of the rooms.
Eugene Kowel, special agent in charge of the Omaha FBI, described the case as “absolutely horrific.” He said:
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery,… This investigation revealed victims right here in 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.
Officials identified 27 survivors in the alleged labor trafficking conspiracy, including 10 minors as young as 12. The US Attorney’s Office stated that management and employees, as well as conventional perpetrators, pushed trafficking for sexual exploitation. The statement said:
Drug traffickers allegedly received protection from law enforcement in the same manner in which human traffickers were also shielded by the hotel owners and managers.
Staged robberies and buying people
Authorities also searched ten other businesses tied to the hotel owners, including “brow and lash” salons in Westroads Mall and other Omaha metro locations.
In one salon, prosecutors allege a hotel owner staged a fake robbery in 2022 to secure a U visa for another defendant, leading to a conspiracy to defraud the government charge.
They also said one defendant discussed the cost of bringing someone from India to the US. In addition, several hotel employees reportedly crossed the Arizona border years ago and told Customs they would live at one of the defendant’s hotels—showing those arrangements were made before they entered.
Prosecutors said the accused transported undocumented migrants from Nebraska to Washington state to fraudulently obtain driver’s licenses, costing about $1,000 for each document.
Federal officials are blocking the sale or transfer of the hotels while the investigation continues.
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