Juvenile Drug Crimes—New Weapons

Local prosecutor, Pete Orput, in an effort to stop juvenile drug crimes in Minnesota, has made an unusual move: he’s charged a group of people with murder in the death of a teenager, Tara Fitzgerald, who died as the result of taking synthetic LSD.  Can he win and convict all of the group?  And how does he think …

Washed-up on the Beach in California

Off the coast of California smugglers used their 30 foot boat to ram a Coast Guard boat, killing Chief Petty Officer, Terrell Horne.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/09/us/smuggling-is-on-the-rise-off-southern-california-coast.html?scp=1&sq=coast+guard+officer+dies&st=nyt&_r=0  Could this tragedy be a hint of a serious threat to the United States?

With the increased vigilance across the land borders of our country, more smuggling has gone to sea.  Of  course, …

Terrorist Guilty in Minneapolis

Imagine–a janitor who works quietly by day so that no one suspects him of any criminal activity.  By night, he masterminds a global network of money transfers, smuggling, recruiting of young men to fight overseas, and warfare in Somalia.

In federal court in Minneapolis a jury found Mahamud Said Omar guilty of recruiting as many as 20 young

The Child on the Corner

I just read a great blog by Karen Boros on MinnPost at minneapolis-targets-backpagecom-ads-fight-against-juvenile-sex-trafficking about the efforts of the Minneapolis City Council to stop the Internet advertisements for juvenile prostitutes.  Protected by the 1st Amendment, the web site, backpage.com has run ads for sexual activity.  Through code words like “new in town,” they indicate to the buyers that …

Human Trafficking in Minnesota?? II

In the last post, I looked at the huge and tragic problem of worldwide trafficking of humans–particularly young people and children.  The FBI estimates that from 600,000-800,000 humans are trafficked around the world.  That is, they are forcefully taken from their homes and families.  Many people assume that most of these trafficked children come into the U.S. …

Human Trafficking in Minnesota??

Recently, law enforcement in Minnesota busted a human trafficking network that was bringing-in young Somali girls for cheap “slave” labor and the sex industry.  We in Minnesota like to think we  have a squeaky-clean community free from the big-city problems like trafficking.

Not true.  Minnesota is actually one of the target states for human traffickers with the FBI …

Gangsters Prey on Somali Girls

Star Tribune reporter, Allie Shah, has written another great article about the latest upheaval in the Twin City Somali community. Read it at: http://www.startribune.com/local/109349164.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUeDyic:E7PNDh_oaE3miUsZ

With 70,000 Somalis in Minnesota, we have the largest concentration in the United States. For two years, Ms. Shah and other reporters followed the story of the young Somali men who disappeared from the …