The state lacks transparency on the extent of the problem
A sex trafficking sting in northern Minnesota resulted in six arrests, including two men who were working on the Enbridge Line 3 tar sands pipeline, the Bemidji Pioneer reported. They have been fired.
Last February, a similar sex trafficking sting resulted in seven arrests, and again at least two of them worked on Line 3.
In both stings, law enforcement set up a phony sex advertising website and arrested men who arrived to arranged meeting, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said.
Out of the two stings, Line 3 workers represent 30 percent of those arrested. It’s a small sample but it seems like a high number.
The state of Minnesota has failed to provide needed transparency and accountability for Line 3-related sex trafficking. The very structure is flawed. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) required and approved Enbridge’s Human Trafficking Prevention Plan. But the plan has no teeth and no one is responsible for follow up.
What’s the point of requiring a plan if no one is going to enforce it?
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