5 Indian-Americans charged with sex trafficking in Nebraska
The investigation uncovered that these hotels were allegedly used to exploit vulnerable victims, including ten minors."During the operation, law enforcement officers rescued 10 minors from an alleged labour trafficking conspiracy that involved putting children under the age of twelve to work at hotels for long hours with little to no pay," the statement read.Seventeen adult victims were also rescued during the raid.Victims reportedly endured unsanitary living quarters and were coerced into paying for substandard lodging.Authorities also discovered alleged sex trafficking activities at the hotels, with some victims exploited not only by traffickers but also by hotel management and employees.INDIAN-ORIGIN MEN ALSO ACCUSED OF DRUG TRAFFICKING, STAGING FAKE ROBBERYAdditionally, multiple defendants are alleged to have maintained these hotels as premises to conduct drug trafficking freely.One defendant is also accused of attempting to fraudulently obtain U-visas that allow certain crime victims to stay in the US."Allegations in the complaint affidavits reveal that one hotel owner hired a worker at a hotel to stage a fictitious robbery of one of the Brow and Lash salons in 2022. The goal was to secure a U-visa for one of the other defendants by making her a 'victim' of the robbery," the statement added.US AUTHORITIES ALSO SEIZED $565,000 IN CASHAs part of the operation, authorities seized over $565,000 (approximately Rs 4.9 crore) in suspected laundered cash. The US government has also filed legal notices to block the sale or transfer of the hotels under investigation, while the Marshals Service is working to recover additional assets allegedly obtained through criminal activity.The statement noted that criminal complaints are charging documents containing one or more individual counts that are merely accusations.Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, it added.- EndsMust Watch
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