-from news.cincinati.com-

Seven people from Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky were arrested and four warrants were served this weekend as part of an undercover prostitution investigation by several Northern Kentucky law enforcement agencies.

Officers found the group at a local hotel and made the arrests, according to Fort Wright police. Linda S. Schmidt, 33, of West Chester, Andrea E. Lawson, 27, of Cincinnati, Cindy P. Raisor, 37, of Cincinnati, and Angela R. Eversole, 34, of Fort Wright, are facing prostitution charges. Kenneth A. Nowak, 50, of Avon, Ind., and Cherri Okoli, 46, of Cincinnati, are accused of promoting prostitution. Anthony W. Schaffner, 22, of Fort Wright, was arrested for an alleged probation violation. These agencies helped Fort Wright police with the investigation: Fort Mitchell and Taylor Mill police departments, Kenton Detention Center, and the Boone and Kenton county sheriff’s offices.

-from wbay.com-

By Sarah Thomson

It took four months of watching and waiting for drug agents to bust four men. Each faces charges of possession with intent to deliver cocaine.

Investigators seized a total of three kilograms of cocaine, plus six luxury vehicles, including two Cadillac Escalades and a motorcycle from six homes and one business in Green Bay, Howard, Ashwaubenon and Bellevue.

One of the men faces federal charges, the other three are being charged in Brown County Circuit Court.

Even though the Brown County Sheriff’s Department says more arrests and charges may come out of this investigation, neighbors who live near the alleged drug dealers are relieved to see this many arrests.

On a warm summer night, Judy Halverson likes to enjoy time outside with her family and grandsons.

Tonight, that’s a little easier knowing police arrested an alleged drug dealer that used to live just a few blocks away.

“It’s time somebody found something,” Halverson said. “Cause I’m sure it’s going on all over, but not only in our area, but other areas I’m sure.”

She’s right.

Narcotics investigators made busts in four communities, pulling six and a half pounds of cocaine, worth $300,000 off the streets of these neighborhoods filled with kids.

Cathy Collard said, “I thought great, that’ll put a big dent in the drug business, hopefully.”

April Gulbrand agreed saying, “I have a lot of kids here and they all run and ride their bikes up and down the street and up and down the sidewalk, so it’s nice to know that it’s taken care of.”

Pat McCormick said, “You like to be able to walk down the street and think you’re safe and you feel safer when you know this kind of work is going on and arrests are being made.”

While neighbors are excited investigators got this many drugs off their streets, they’re just hoping now, that drug dealers don’t take their business to everyone else’s neighborhoods.

But for now, they’re happy knowing at least this much is gone.

McCormick said, “We certainly appreciate that for the safety of kids and anybody.”

-from ap.google.com-

By Lara Jakes Jordan

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hundreds of people have been arrested and 21 children rescued in what the FBI is calling a five-day roundup of networks of pimps who force children into prostitution.

The Justice Department says it targeted 16 cities as part of its “Operation Cross Country” that caps off five years of similar stings nationwide.

Many of the children forced into prostitution are either runaways or what authorities call “thrown-aways” — kids whose families have shunned them. Officials say they are preyed upon by organized networks of pimps who lure them in with shelter or drugs, then often beat, starve or otherwise abuse them until the children agree to work the streets.

“We together have no higher calling than to protect our children and to safeguard their innocence,” FBI Director Robert Mueller said Wednesday. “Yet the sex trafficking of children remains one of the most violent and unforgivable crimes in this country.”

In all, authorities arrested 345 people — including 290 adult prostitutes — during the operation that ended this week. Since 2003, 308 pimps and hookers have been convicted in state and federal courts of forcing youngsters into prostitution, and 433 child victims have been rescued, Mueller said.

The cities targeted in this week’s sting are: Atlanta; Boston; Dallas; Detroit; Houston; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Miami; Montgomery County, Md.; Oakland, Calif.; Phoenix; Reno, Nev.; Sacramento, Calif.; Tampa; Toledo, Ohio and Washington.

The problem of child prostitution has taken on a new urgency in recent years with the growth of online networks where pimps advertise the youngsters to clients. The FBI generally investigates child prostitution cases that cross state lines.

The cases aren’t easy to convict.

In April 2006, for example, charges against a Nevada man resulted in a hung jury after his 14-year-old victim refused to testify against him. Months later, however, a second jury found Juan Rico Doss of Reno, Nev., guilty of forcing two girls — ages 14 and 16 — to sell sex in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco and Oakland.

A University of Pennsylvania study estimates nearly 300,000 children in the United States are at risk of being sexually exploited for commercial uses — “most of them runaways or thrown-aways,” said Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

“These kids are victims. This is 21st century slavery,” Allen said. “They lack the ability to walk away.”

-from news.com.au-

The wig was concealing 1kg of cocaine glued to her head and Customs agents detained her on suspicion of cocaine smuggling.

The 32-year-old suspect arrived at Vaernes airport, near Trondheim, on a flight from Copenhagen.

Norway’s biggest newspaper, Verdens Gang, said the cocaine was glued so firmly to the woman’s real hair that police took her to a local hospital to have it removed

-from canada.com-

ESTEVAN (Special) — The Estevan City Police Service has made two significant drug seizures during the past week in the southeastern city.

On Thursday, Estevan City Police Service officers arrested two people after executing a search warrant on an Estevan home. The police reported a very large amount of cocaine was seized at the residence.

“This is the largest seizure of cocaine in our history,” said Staff Sgt. Del Block.

Police also seized drug trafficking paraphernalia found during the search.

Jeffrey Patrick Clifford Schlamp, 26, and Laura Jane Antoine, 18, of Estevan were charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. They were released on undertakings with several conditions.

Schlamp’s case was adjourned to July 3 in Estevan Provincial Court. Antoine’s next appearance is to be July 31 in Estevan Provincial Court.

On Monday, Raymond Scott McBride, 40, of Estevan appeared in court to face charges of possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. He was released on an undertaking with several conditions.

McBride was charged after the police executed a search warrant on his Estevan residence on June 3.

Police said a large amount of marijuana, cannabis oil, and trafficking paraphernalia was seized. Officers also seized a large amount of money from the residence.

McBride’s case was adjourned to June 19.

The Estevan City Police Service is continuing its investigations and further charges are pending in both cases

-from fox12news.com-

Meridian, Idaho — Just one day after police discovered a marijuana trafficking operation in Notus, Meridian Police have a pot bust of their own.

It happened during a routine traffic stop.

Jourdarryl Horton, 33, of Nampa is facing charges of marijuana trafficking and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was pulled over just before 6 p.m. Saturday when officers realized he was wanted on a warrant out of Canyon County.

They found about three ounces of drugs packaged for sale, along with a small scale.

-from krextv.com-

By Rick Adams

The Western Colorado Drug Task Force makes another major bust. In the last two days officers have busted four people at two different locations netting more than 130 pounds of marijuana, guns and cash. One bust was at a home in Grand Junction, the other 30 miles south in Whitewater. Mesa County officials say 24-year-old Gabriel Quintero and 22-year-old Christine Montez were arrested at a home on Chatfield Avenue in Grand Junction and officials say that’s where they confiscated 95 pounds of marijuana, less than an ounce of cocaine and cash. The two are being held on drug possession and distribution charges.
At the bust in Whitewater officers walked away with about 37 pounds of marijuana, guns and cash. There, 49-year-old Ernie Martinez and 55-year-old Emily Baca were arrested and are facing several charges including possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

-from kjct8.com-

A major bust takes pounds of pot, wads of cash, and a cache of guns off the streets.

The Western Colorado Drug Task Force arrested four suspects after working two Western Slope locations in the last two days.

Agents say 24-year-old Gabriel Quintero, and 22-year-old Christine Montez had 95 pounds of marijuana, cocaine, cash and drug distribution items at a home in the 400 block of Chatfield Avenue in Grand Junction.

22-year-old Ernie Martinez and 56-year-old Emily Baca was caught with 37 pounds of marijuana, several firearms, cash and drug distribution items at a home in Whitewater.

Agents aren’t releasing too many details about the busts, or the relationship between the four suspects and the two homes.