OSHKOSH (WLUK) — A Texas man was arrested and a woman was rescued Friday after an undercover human trafficking operation in Oshkosh that also resulted in the seizure of firearms and illegal drugs.
During the course of an investigation by the Oshkosh Police Department, it was determined that a female victim involved in human trafficking activities was staying an Oshkosh hotel. An undercover police officer met with the woman at the hotel, just after a man was seen leaving her room.
“Such individuals often play a role in trafficking female victims,” police said in a news release.
According to police, the man “had been forcing the female victim to participate in these activities against her will for several months, during which she lived in fear of the suspect.” The pair had traveled across multiple states, eventually ending up in Oshkosh.
Drugs seized by police. (OPD)
Law enforcement approached the man, who resisted the officers’ efforts to detain him. Police say he was found in possession of a stolen firearm and “a substantial quantity” of illegal drugs. A search of the hotel room recovered a second firearm and more drugs.
The suspect, a 32-year-old Texas man, has an extensive criminal history but no known ties to Oshkosh or Wisconsin, according to police.
He is being held at the Winnebago County Jail on recommended felony charges of human trafficking, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and various counts of possession with intent to deliver controlled substances, including methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine.
Anyone with information about this incident, or human trafficking activities in Northeast Wisconsin, is asked to contact their local police department or utilize resources like Crime Stoppers.
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