LAKOTA, N.D. (KVRR-KFGO) – A traffic stop in Nelson County in northeastern North Dakota resulted in the arrests of several illegal immigrants in Bottineau County in north-central North Dakota. The Nelson County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy stopped a pickup for speeding on US Highway 2 Saturday. The driver, 38-year-old Renaldo Rafael-Mendoza, did not have a driver’s license and failed…
WAHPETON, N.D. (KVRR/KFGO) — A woman is charged in Richland County for her role in trafficking two minors. Court documents say last August, 36-year-old Ruby Martinez brought two 15-year-old girls to a hotel in Wahpeton where the victims performed sex acts on two construction workers for money or narcotics. Last month, Martinez and 31-year-old Javier Martinez brought one of the…
(KVRR) — Gov. Doug Burgum on Friday visited soldiers from the Jamestown-based 817th Engineer Company at the U.S.-Mexico border. He was there to thank them for supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection efforts to secure the border. Burgum was joined by Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, adjutant general of the North Dakota National Guard. The 817th deployed in early November for…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KVRR) – The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says six people were arrested during a human trafficking operation in Beltrami County. The BCA led the operation with assistance from the Tribes United Against Sex Trafficking (TRUST) Task Force, the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office and the Bemidji Police Department. During the operation, suspects responded to an ad on…
BISMARCK, N.D. – Two of the three people charged with facilitating prostitution following a raid on spas in Bismarck and Dickinson are facing additional charges of human trafficking. Sixty-five-year-old Lance Jacobson and 56-year-old Jiang Jennings were charged with sexual servitude and human trafficking felonies. Jacobson and Jennings were earlier charged with facilitating prostitution after an investigation that led to a…
FARGO, N.D. — According to authorities, sex trafficking is the second largest crime economy in the country. The dangerous incidents often take place in hotels. “We get the majority of our tips from the hospitality industry,” said West Fargo police Detective Derek Werner. “If it is somebody from out of town, if it is a runaway, runaways are going to…
Des Moines/Ankeny, IA (KFGO) – Casey’s General Stores and Kum & Go are joining with Convenience Stores Against Trafficking (CSAT) are working to raise awareness about human trafficking. The chains thousands of employees will undergo special training. The stores will also place stickers in restrooms with information for victims to call or text to reach the National Human Trafficking hotline….
FARGO, N.D. — It’s a topic that hits closer to home than you may think. The Sexual Assault Prevention team at NDSU held a human trafficking workshop to teach people about the warning signs. One of the key points presenters wanted to drive home is human traffickers aren’t necessarily scary–looking people. They can be people you see in everyday life. There…
Mother Nature got in the way the first time, but The Next Step ND isn’t letting her stop them. You can help a victim of human trafficking regain her independence with a purse. The group is hosting its rescheduled fundraiser, Purses for a Purpose, this week. The original event was postpones due to weather on February 7th. Emily Brooks…
FARGO, N.D. –It’s a silent industry in more than 100 countries and in all 50 states, ruining lives and shattering families. In our lead story, KVRR’s Danielle Church tells us how a small group is fighting this industry, and in the process, taking on a task as big as the world itself. Trauma blocks some of the details but the…
