35 arrests made in Warren during multi-day human trafficking sting

Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer said of those 35 people arrested, 18 were men and 17 were women. There were 30 felony charges and 45 misdemeanor charges issued in the sting for a total of 75 charges.

Officials in Warren have made almost three dozen arrests this week in a sting combatting human trafficking. 

Thirty five people were arrested at seven hotels throughout the city during the three-day operation called Operation Crusade. We're told 11 of those arrests were "Johns", and that they were arrested after authorities used female decoys. 

During the three-day sting, male undercover officers worked to make arrests the first two nights, and two female undercover officers arrested "customers," with ages ranging from 27 to 51 years old, on day three, police said.

Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer said of those 35 people arrested, 18 were men and 17 were women. There were 30 felony charges and 45 misdemeanor charges issued in the sting for a total of 75 charges.

Some of the charges include transporting a prostitute, which is a 20 year felony, to accepting the earnings of prostitution, another 20-year felony, to keeping a house of prostitution, a 5-year felony, Dwyer said.

"Human trafficking, prostitution, illegal drugs and other crimes such as robbery, burglary, all of that and the list goes on, will not be tolerated in the city of Warren," he said.

Dwyer said two victims of human trafficking were discovered in this case.

"Michigan has the 11th highest call volume to the National Human Trafficking hotline," he said. "Our goal is to arrest convict those persons who are responsible and work with the victims ... and educate and create public awareness."

Warren police said narcotics were also seized during the sting, including crack cocaine and heroin, and that many of the individuals arrested were under the influence.

According to officials, cities that the individuals arrested were from include Waterford, Clawson, Roseville, Detroit, Macomb Township, Farmington Hills, Belleville, Southfield and others. 

Authorities say this is just phase one of their human trafficking operation in the city.