STATEMENT by Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe, ICE Public Affairs Officer
“On April 20, 2018, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents from the Yuma
office received information from the Lake Havasu City Police Department (LHCPD) regarding a
potential human trafficking case. A joint investigation was subsequently initiated with the
assistance of LHCPD and the Bullhead City Police Department (BCPD) to determine if certain
massage parlors were in fact violating any human trafficking or other immigration laws. On Sept.
20, 2018, HSI, LHCPD and BCPD executed 10 Arizona state search/arrest warrants - five of the
locations were in Lake Havasu City and the other five were in Bullhead City and Fort Mohave,
Arizona. The Mohave County Attorney accepted prosecution of the case. In December 2019, the
prosecution dismissed the case – to date, no one has been removed from the United States.
However, ICE records indicate that ​[name redacted by Howard Center]​ was encountered by
officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) at the Mohave County Jail on Sept.
22, 2018. ​[Name redacted by Howard Center]​ is out on an immigration bond pending removal
proceedings before an immigration judge.
HSI is committed to placing the safety of potential victims at the forefront of every investigation.
Conduct by a limited number of HSI agents involved in the investigation was not consistent with
HSI policy, and that information was referred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s
(ICE) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) for action. A thorough investigation of the
alleged misconduct and failure to follow policy was undertaken by ICE OPR. The findings of
that investigation were provided to ICE’s Disciplinary and Adverse Action Panel to determine
the appropriate disciplinary and/or corrective actions. Due to strict privacy and agency rulings,
details regarding the names, titles and any resulting disciplinary and/or corrective measures
cannot be disclosed.
Every day, HSI special agents around the globe work to uncover, dismantle and disrupt human
trafficking. HSI employs a victim-centered approach, where the greatest value is placed on the
identification and stabilization of victims, as we pursue the investigation and prosecution of
traffickers. Across the state, HSI stands proudly next to our local law enforcement partners to not
only identify and assist victims, but to prosecute offenders and prevent additional trafficking.
Throughout Arizona, HSI has conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach presentations to
educate the public, businesses and other law enforcement agencies in identifying human
trafficking indictors and will continue to focus and prioritize the potential victims as we conduct
human trafficking investigations in Arizona.”