A large-scale investigation led to the execution of over 30 warrants and several arrests in the north metro on Wednesday morning, which authorities say involves human trafficking, narcotics and weapons at several hotel properties.
Brooklyn Center police issued a notice on social media early Wednesday asking the public to stay away from the area near Travelodge and Super 8 hotels on James Circle due to a planned law enforcement operation. The notice said the operation was related to an ongoing criminal investigation involving suspected human trafficking, narcotics distribution, firearms offenses, and other criminal activity.
Brooklyn Center police later held a press briefing with other local authorities and issued a lengthy written statement detailing the “complex” nature of the investigation, which involved multiple law enforcement agencies:
“The Brooklyn Center Police Department, working with local, county, state, and federal partners, conducted a significant, planned law enforcement operation this morning with the primary focus on the Super 8 and Travelodge hotels on James Circle in Brooklyn Center.
The operation is the culmination of approximately one year of investigative work involving suspected human trafficking, narcotics distribution, and related criminal activity occurring at and between the two properties. Today’s operation involved over 250 local, county, state and federal personnel.
Law enforcement personnel executed 30 court-authorized search warrants. 26 of those were executed at the Super 8 and Travelodge hotels. Four additional warrants were serviced at two other hotels associated with the investigation.
‘This is not a response to one isolated incident,’ Brooklyn Center Police Chief Garett Flesland said. ‘This operation is the culmination of approximately one year of focused investigative work into persistent and serious criminal activity associated with these two locations. Our goal is larger than making arrests. We are working to disrupt criminal activity, protect vulnerable people, hold offenders accountable, and make Brooklyn Center safer.’
Police data illustrates the disproportionate amount of public-safety activity associated specifically with the Super 8 and Travelodge hotels. From January 1, 2025, through August 27, 2026:
- The Super 8 generated approximately 1,300 calls for service and the Travelodge approximately 975, making them the two highest individual locations for calls for service in Brooklyn Center.
- The two properties accounted for 246 arrests and were the top two locations in the city for disturbance and quality-of-life calls and for trespassing arrests.
- The properties generated 53 violent-crime-related calls involving assaults, robberies, shootings or shots fired, sex crimes, and weapons, as well as 15 violent-crime arrests. The Super 8 was the highest individual location in Brooklyn Center for violent-crime arrests during the period analyzed.
- The data identified 32 people arrested multiple times at the Super 8 and 14 people arrested multiple times at the Travelodge.
- Police responded to 104 reported drug overdoses at the two hotels, representing approximately 24% of all reported drug overdoses in Brooklyn Center during the period analyzed.
Detectives came to believe through the long-term investigation that the repeated incidents at the properties could not be effectively addressed solely through individual calls for service, arrests, or room-by-room enforcement.
‘These two properties have generated an extraordinary amount of police activity, but behind those numbers are real people who have been assaulted, exploited, addicted, trafficked, and placed at risk,’ Flesland said. ‘Today’s operation is about interrupting that cycle. And we couldn’t have done it without our partner agencies at the local, county, state, and federal level.’
The investigation has involved repeated contacts with individuals believed to be victims of human trafficking, including several prior victim recoveries at the Travelodge conducted by the Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force. Several individuals have directly reported to detectives that they were being trafficked. Detectives also report that individuals previously contacted or recovered have returned to the same environment, illustrating how coercion, threats, and addiction can make it extremely difficult for victims to leave. When the search warrant applications were finalized, investigators documented nine active commercial-sex advertisements associated with the hotels.
Investigators have also identified several principal subjects with extensive arrest and/or conviction histories involving violence, firearms, and serious narcotics offenses. Those histories include offenses such as armed robbery, kidnapping, aggravated assault, firearm offenses, domestic violence, and assaults against law enforcement. Those risk factors are among the reasons specialized tactical resources were used to execute the warrants as safely as possible.
Victim-support personnel, including FBI personnel, along with advocates and other victim-service resources, assisted potential trafficking victims encountered during the operation and connected them with appropriate services.
Law enforcement and partner agencies also assisted the legitimate hotel guests and other occupants who are not involved in criminal activity. Hennepin County Public Health will inspect and evaluate conditions at the Super 8 and Travelodge and determine whether any corrective or closure notices or orders are warranted. No closure outcome is being announced at this time.
Participating law enforcement agencies include the Brooklyn Center Police Department, Brooklyn Park Police Department, Crystal Police Department, Maple Grove Police Department, New Hope Police Department, Plymouth Police Department, Robbinsdale Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Drug Enforcement Administration – Duluth POD, and West Metro SWAT. Personnel assigned through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program are also assisting.
Additional support was provided by the Brooklyn Center Fire Department, Brooklyn Center Public Works, North Ambulance Service, Hennepin County Public Health, Hennepin County Probation, Safe Harbor representatives, victim-support personnel and advocates, and other City staff.
The investigation and enforcement operation remains ongoing. Arrest totals, evidence recovered, potential criminal charges, and any regulatory actions involving the properties will be released when that information has been verified and can appropriately be made public.”
A search of Hennepin County Jail records revealed a number of parties arrested by Brooklyn Center police on Wednesday who were being held on varying probable cause charges involving prostitution, drugs and weapons. Information on exactly which arrested parties were connected to the operation was not immediately available, since police did not formally name the suspects.
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) September 10, 2026
Alpha News will continue to follow charges and other developments in the case.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
