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Iowa is One of Multi-State Law Enforcement Operations that Rescued 70 Trafficking Victims

This summer, law enforcement officers in 19 states, including Iowa, have rescued 70 human trafficking victims (69 adults and one juvenile) as part of Operation Coast to Coast. A total of 46 people were arrested. The operation involved the execution of 25 search warrants and disrupted business at 26 “illicit massage businesses,” the Human Trafficking Training Center reports in a press release. (See article “Two Traffickers Arrested in Quad Cities.”)

Operation Coast to Coast brought together more than 150 agencies and partners, including nonprofits like Safe House Project, Street Grace, Rotary, as well as corporate allies like Delta Air Lines, Flock Safety, and Code Four.

The 2025 investigation included new technology and victim care. Conducting proactive human trafficking operations can be positive and help identify victims and arrest traffickers. “This group of states and agencies from across America have come together during Operation Coast to Coast, obtained proper training and participated in this nationwide operation to help victims, arrest traffickers and make their communities safer,” said Dan Nash, founder of the Human Trafficking Training Center and a former human trafficking investigator. “As more and more agencies obtain proper training, this number will grow and make trafficking inhospitable in America.”

This year, the focus of Operation Coast to Coast was Illegal Massage Businesses (IMBs), a subset of the human trafficking industry that uses the cover of a legitimate business to conduct trafficking, often tied to transnational crime. There are an estimated 7,500 to 9,000 IMBs nationwide, creating a network that Street Grace estimates is the country’s second-largest pipeline for human trafficking.

During the Operation, law enforcement identified and entered IMBs in Iowa, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Nebraska, and Vermont.

In the following days, the organizations involved in Operation Coast to Coast will provide the recovered victims with much-needed services, including food, lodging, medical services, drug rehabilitation, counseling/therapy, and childcare. Delta Airlines is providing some of the victims with flights to transport them to point-of-care locations. For more information on Operation Rescue tap here.

Two Alleged Traffickers Arrested in Quad Cities

Suspicious activity reported inside Bettendorf’s Ming Li Spa and Massage Parlor led to the arrest of 58-year-old Heling Di. Court documents say Di drove workers to and from the spa where they would engage in sexual acts, and now, those employees are considered victims of human trafficking. The spa was closed and is considered to be an Illegal Massage Business (IMB).

Another related arrest followed when an East Moline man, Edward McNanna, was arrested and charged with trafficking, kidnapping, and sexual assault.

On a global scale, human trafficking, commonly referred to as “modern slavery,” generates $150 billion a year. That comes from the US Department of Justice Office, also reporting that human trafficking is the second most profitable criminal enterprise in the world after drug trafficking.

Numbers from the UN International Labour Organization reveal that 77% of victims are forced into labor, and the other 23% are in sex trafficking. In the USA, these percentages are reversed, with approximately 80% sex trafficking and 20% labor trafficking.

Since traffickers can communicate with children online, Iowa experts say the internet is a hotspot for exploitation. The organization added that the majority of those trafficked entered before age 18.

Iowa Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking Multiple Victims

An eight-count indictment in the Northern District of Iowa has been unsealed, charging a Des Moines man with four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and four counts of interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution through coercion and enticement.

According to the indictment, Marlin Santana Thomas Sr., 49, used force, fraud and coercion to cause four adult women to engage in commercial sex acts in the Northern District of Iowa and elsewhere between 2009 and 2015. The indictment also alleges that Thomas transported women from Iowa to Illinois and North Dakota for the purpose of engaging in prostitution.

The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. It also carries a minimum of five years of supervised release up to a lifetime of supervised release along with a fine of up to $250,000. Finally, restitution is mandatory upon any conviction for sex trafficking. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence upon any conviction after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI and Des Moines Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Nydle for the Northern District of Iowa and Trial Attorney Slava Kuperstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.

The FBI is asking that anyone with information about Thomas contact the Omaha Field Office at 402-493-8688.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

11 Online Apps Are a Potential Danger to Kids

There is no better time than summer vacation to think more intentionally about how our kids are interacting with the online world. Parents and guardians can’t take the internet out of a child’s world, but they can equip them to navigate it with confidence, awareness, and resilience.

In today’s world, most teens and children look at a screens often, particularly online apps, games, or video-sharing platforms. But just because an app or platform is marketed to kids doesn’t mean it’s safe. Parents and guardians need to research apps and look for factors such as:

  • Data collection
  • Inappropriate content
  • Cyberbullying or online harassment
  • Anonymous private messaging
  • Advertising

Parents need to understand the risks of each app their child downloads. Here are some of the most popular apps children and teens are using today.

* = apps that share location information by default;  ^ = with anonymous messaging 

  • Snapchat users send photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours, making it a perfect app for cyberbullying or sexting. (13+) *
  • Whisper entices people to share secrets or confessions anonymously. Anonymity emboldens users to share harmful/inappropriate content without consequences. (17+) *^
  • WhatsApp users can text, video chat, and send videos or documents online. Scams, malware, and cyberbullying are common. (13+)
  • Discord gathers people around interests, such as video games. Each Discord channel has unique rules. Some allow cybercrime, adult content, and harassment. (13+)
  • Kik Messenger offers a way to meet (anonymous) people. Kik’s exposure to strangers and lack of moderation can lead to grooming and cyberbullying. (17+) ^
  • BeReal users post a photo once a day when prompted. Because BeReal doesn’t actively moderate posts, it can expose people to inappropriate content. (13+) *
  • TikTok shares short-form video content of all kinds. The app collects personal info, and the algorithm can expose children to increasingly harmful content. (13+)
  • YouTube provides video content. While YouTube has age-restricted content for people under 13, the algorithm may inadvertently include inappropriate content. Kids 13 and older can also post videos and respond to strangers in the comments. (Age varies)
  • Roblox features user-generated games that may be inappropriate for kids and allows direct messaging with strangers. (Age varies) ^
  • WeChat facilitates messaging/social interactions. The app has extensive location-based features and can identify a user’s location. (no age limit) *
  • Instagram’s design encourages users to share personal information and the algorithm can push harmful content, making kids more vulnerable to unsafe interactions like phishing or messages from strangers. (13+) *

Every child deserves to grow up free from exploitation and harm, both offline and online. Parents need to be committed to creating a world where children can safely navigate digital spaces without falling prey to those who want to exploit them. With digital platforms increasingly becoming hunting grounds targeting vulnerable youth, equipping parents and caregivers with effective protective strategies has never been more vital.

Iowa Observances of World Day Against Trafficking/August 14 Red Sand Project

You are invited to Clear Lake, Iowa, on Thursday, August 14, to experience the Red Sand Project. Several other communities and coalitions already hosted their observance of July 30 World Day Against Human Trafficking. Some of you did carry out Red Sand Projects, and others had 5K runs, awareness booths, and other activities. Please send us photos and brief descriptions of your event for posting in the Network September 1 blog/newsletter or our Facebook page.

We commend the North and Central Iowa Coalition Against Human Trafficking for organizing the August 14 Red Sand Project in Clear Lake, IA, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Please note that there will be a public art installation. For more information, email Lyna Debner or Melody Stone.

In honor of World Day Against Trafficking, Tom Barr, NAHT board member, set up an HT awareness and information booth during the Muscatine County Fair. Tom reported that there was a lot of activity and a great deal of interest in the awareness booth. He had conversations with the Muscatine County Sheriff, the Bishop of the Davenport Catholic Diocese, and interesting conversations with two massage therapists. Some people just walked up and said, “Thank you for doing this and being here.” They expressed gratitude for helping to spread the word and their disappointment at how many Iowans still ignore that trafficking takes place in their state.

Several people donated money, and others donated $20 and received NAHT t-shirts. Tom sent the NAHT a check for $250 collected in honor in the NAHT 20th anniversary. The second photo shows the information booth.

Free Internet Safety Training for Iowa School Children and Parents

Kim Smith, Shared Hope International Iowa Ambassador

Shared Hope International Iowa Ambassador Kim Smith started her journey as a full-time anti-trafficking volunteer while serving as a children and family ministry director in Northwest Iowa. As she noted the growing impact of technology on even young children, she began searching for internet safety resources. An Iowa Shared Hope presentation opened her eyes to the realities of domestic minor sex trafficking—a problem she, like many, had believed only happened “somewhere else.”

After attending Shared Hope’s 2018 Faith Summit, everything changed. Deeply moved by the reality of domestic minor sex trafficking and online exploitation, Kim committed herself to raising awareness and educating families.

“The reality that someone could hurt a child I knew—or any child—and never have to be in the same room, city, state, or even country just shocked me to my core,” she recalls.

What began as a search for “phone safety” grew into a full-time calling. With her husband’s support, Kim left her job in 2019 and has since volunteered full-time, equipping Iowa students and parents with tools to stay safe online.

Kim emphasizes that internet safety is more important than ever because today’s youth are growing up in a digital world vastly different from their parents. “Our kids don’t realize that it’s such a different world for their parents to navigate and parent in,” she explains. “Our ‘digital natives’—anyone born after 1997—don’t realize how HUGE their world is now due to technology connecting us with all corners of the globe, and the risks that come with it.”

With technology opening doors to both opportunity and danger, Kim is passionate about helping young people recognize the very real threats of interacting with strangers online—and how to protect themselves.

Email Kim to schedule internet safety training for your local school or youth group.

Iowa Egg Supplier Denies Allegations of Human Trafficking

Written by Clark Kauffman

An Iowa industrial egg supplier is denying allegations that it engaged in human trafficking or threatened immigrant workers with deportation in retaliation for their complaints.

In March, attorneys for six Guatemalan citizens sued Iowa’s Centrum Valley Farms and company manager Jose Cornejo in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.

The plaintiffs, all of whom lived in Belmond, Eagle Grove, Clarion or Webster City while working for Centrum Valley Farms, seek unspecified damages for harassment, discrimination and retaliation; wrongful discharge; human trafficking related to forced labor; violations of wage-and-hour laws related to overtime pay, and violations of the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.

The plaintiffs claim Centrum Valley Farms recruited them to work at the company’s Clarion egg farm and packaging facility and helped them obtain work-authorization documents from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with Cornejo acting as their supervisor.

On a daily basis, Cornejo, who is Mexican, made “repeated unwelcome comments disparaging the plaintiffs for their Guatemalan national origin,” the lawsuit claims. Cornejo is accused of telling the plaintiffs that all Guatemalans were lazy and that he wanted to replace them with Mexicans or Americans.

When the Guatemalans complained about Cornejo to other managers, the lawsuit claims, the harassment allegedly grew worse with Cornejo threatening to have them deported. “Cornejo even brought a firearm to work, showed it to the plaintiffs, and displayed it in his office to intimidate the plaintiffs and silence their complaints,” the lawsuit claims.

Cornejo is also accused of threatening to turn the Guatemalans in to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement if they tried to voluntarily leave their positions at the company. The company eventually terminated the Guatemalans’ employment “in retaliation for their complaints,” the lawsuit adds. Tap here to learn more.

‘Sextortion’ Ring Targeting Thousands of Minors Worldwide Disrupted by the FBI

It was news that Pauline Stuart thought might never come: The man believed to be responsible for the death of her teenage son years earlier is finally behind bars. “It still seems a little unreal that it happened,” she told CNN on Thursday. “I kind of believed that it would never happen, but law enforcement never gave up.”

The suspect, Alfred Kassi, was recently arrested in his native country of Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa, more than 7,000 miles away from the Northern California home where Stuart’s 17-year-old son, Ryan Last, died by suicide in 2022.

US federal prosecutors say that Kassi and a group of three accomplices were all arrested in Côte d’Ivoire, charged for their alleged “role in an international ‘sextortion’ scheme that targeted thousands of victims, including minors, throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Italy.”

Because Côte d’Ivoire does not extradite its citizens to other countries, Kassi and his alleged accomplices will be prosecuted there under the nation’s cybercrime laws, US officials said. CNN is attempting to determine if the four individuals have legal representation.

Sextortion is a scheme where victims, including minors, are deceived into sending online perpetrators explicit images, and then blackmailed in exchange for money or the continued production of additional graphic content.

US law enforcement agencies have seen an explosion in complaints from victims, leading the FBI to ramp up a campaign to warn parents from coast to coast. Tap here to read more.

Help the NAHT to Celebrate its 20th Anniversary

The NAHT is celebrating its 20th anniversary since being founded in 2005. Please consider honoring this milestone by supporting Iowa’s only statewide non-profit, all-volunteer organization fighting human trafficking. You can help us reach our $20,000 20th anniversary fundraising goal by tapping here. Thus far, NAHT supporters have donated nearly $9,000 toward the 20th anniversary goal.

Winterset Rotary Club members answered the question, “I support the NAHT because…”

  • It is happening here in Iowa! It robs victims of their freedom! Staying silent enhances the problem, and we won’t stay silent.
  • Helps bring local awareness to this issue. Keeping Iowans alert.
  • I have kids and grandkids. I feel that all kids should be protected and not be afraid.
  • All people should feel safe anywhere they go, and this needs to include the internet.
  • I believe no one should be bought and sold. Everyone deserves freedom and should never live in fear.

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Age-Verification

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Texas’s age verification law, which requires that pornography websites verify users are 18+ before granting them access, is CONSTITUTIONAL!

This is the most significant victory for protecting children from pornography that our nation has seen in decades. The Supreme Court’s ruling creates an important precedent, paving the way for other states to pass age verification legislation as well.

Without age verification, all of the world’s most abusive, violent, and pornographic content is accessible to children with a simple Google search. Countless children even stumble on this content accidentally. That’s why last month’s decision by the Supreme Court is so critical.

 TV News Clips & Articles

By on August 1, 2025   /   News