Brooklyn Center police raid 2 hotels in human trafficking, gun investigation, 23 arrested
Police in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, arrested 23 people during a raid that centered around two hotels Wednesday morning.
The raid at the Travelodge and Super 8 hotels on James Circle was the culmination of a yearlong, multi-agency investigation. Police say they also executed search warrants at two other hotels: the Baymont and Suburban Studios.
Law enforcement recovered seven firearms, 1.5 lbs of drugs and roughly $9,000 in cash, according to Brooklyn Center Police Chief Garett Flesland.
The 23 people arrested were taken into custody on suspicion of promoting prostitution, sex trafficking, drug possession, drug manufacturing and possession of firearms by ineligible persons.
Two people who were arrested Wednesday morning have since been federally indicted for conspiring to distribute and distributing fentanyl
The Travelodge and Super 8, police say, are the two sites in Brooklyn Center that see the most emergency calls. Between Jan. 1, 2025 and Aug. 27, 2026, the Super 8 saw 1,300 calls for service, while the Travelodge saw 975.
During that time, Flesland said the hotels saw 246 arrests and 100 drug overdoses.
"These cases are about more than arresting people who are suspected of causing harm. It's also about taking care of the people who have been harmed," said Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt.
Witt and Flesland said authorities helped address accommodation needs for people who needed to find a new place to stay.
No one was injured during the raid.
