A joint undercover operation targeting sex trafficking resulted in multiple arrests and the identification of potential victims this week, according to area law enforcement officials.

The operation, conducted on Thursday, was led by the District 27 Violent Crimes Task Force in partnership with the Cherokee Nation Marshals Service. Investigators used undercover officers to identify individuals seeking to meet and pay for sexual intercourse, leading to four arrests after suspects allegedly communicated with officers and arranged to meet and pay for sexual acts.

Analysts from Skull Games Solutions, an organization that provides training and operational support to law enforcement agencies, assisted officers during the investigation.

“Trafficking harms a lot of people in our communities and across the nation,” District 27 District Attorney Jack Thorp said. “We take this crime very seriously and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute those responsible — both the traffickers and those who pay to keep them in business.”

In addition to the arrests, officers identified two individuals believed to be victims of human trafficking. Advocates from the Women’s Crisis Center and the District Attorney’s Office were on scene to provide immediate support and assistance.

The Dec. 11 operation is part of a broader effort by the District 27 Violent Crimes Task Force, which has conducted six human trafficking operations in 2025 across Adair, Cherokee, Sequoyah and Wagoner counties, and has assisted District 16 authorities in a related operation in LeFlore County. Those efforts have led to the identification of six victims and the arrest of 24 individuals accused of purchasing sex.

“We are proud of our continued partnerships across Oklahoma and beyond,” Thorp said. “It is encouraging to see dedicated officers come together with a common goal and demonstrate what coordinated, crossjurisdictional collaboration looks like when the mission comes first.”

At the same time as the Sequoyah County operation, law enforcement agencies from across the state were participating in Skull Games’ Advanced Human Trafficking Training in Norman. Agencies involved included the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, Ottawa County Sheriff ’s Office, and police departments from the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Blanchard, Purcell, Jones, Choctaw and Noble.

Following the training, those agencies conducted a coordinated operation concurrent with the District 27 and Cherokee Nation effort. Combined, the two operations resulted in seven arrests, the recovery of three victims and the identification of two suspected traffickers who remain under investigation.

“Those numbers represent real people, real intervention and real accountability,” Thorp said.