-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.

-from dailynews.com-

By Brandon Lowrey

Police raided five homes today in the western San Fernando Valley, arresting eight people and seizing more than 100 pounds of marijuana and several hundred plants, a Los Angeles police detective said.

Four of the houses hid extensive, indoor growing operations, filled with so many plants police were still taking inventory hours after the late morning raids, said Detective James Williams. Police also found a gun at one of the houses.

“We’re still into this pretty early,” he said.

Four of the five homes, including the one where none of the drug was found, were owned by the same person, Williams said. The identities of those arrested were not available as of 4 p.m., as they hadn’t yet been booked.

Police also weren’t sure just how much marijuana they had seized, but it’s likely a fairly valuable harvest, Williams said.

“They wholesale good stuff at about $6,000 a pound,” he said. “This was looking like high-quality.”

Police also found dried marijuana ready for use.

-from startribune.com-

By Paul Walsh

A drug-trafficking operation that operated for nine years in the Twin Cities area has been busted, federal authorities said today.

The enterprise trafficked in crack cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana, and involved weapons, money laundering and carjacking, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

The indictment of 23 people — from Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Louis Park, Richfield and Tonka Bay — was unsealed late last week after 19 of the defendants were arrested, the office said.

The indictment alleges that a “safe house” in the 2600 block of Cedar Avenue S. in Minneapolis was used to store, package and distribute illicit drugs.