COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Multiple Law Enforcement agencies conducted a coordinated human trafficking and sex trafficking operation on Tuesday in Branch Count.
The Branch County Sheriff’s Office, working alongside the Coldwater Police Department, the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Tribal Police, and the Pokagon Band Tribal Police Department, carried out the multi-agency effort.
During the operation, officers contacted several potential trafficking victims and provided them with victim-centered services and support through partners including S.A.F.E. Place and the Branch County Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (BCCADSV).
Investigators also engaged with individuals seeking to purchase commercial sexual services, resulting in what was described as appropriate law enforcement action in a press release.
The operation emphasized both victim identification and assistance as well as addressing the demand side of commercial sexual exploitation.
Additional operational details were not released due to the ongoing nature of related investigations and pending charging decisions by the Branch County Prosecutor’s Office.
Just last week Branch County Commissioners approved interim prosecutor Victor Fitz to pursue a federal grant to hire an attorney that would focus on fraud, human trafficking and drug trafficking being perpetrated by non-US citizens.
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