The Washington State Patrol says nearly a dozen people were arrested during an overnight undercover operation recently targeting human trafficking and prostitution near truck stops in Pierce, King and Snohomish counties.

The State Patrol’s Commercial Vehicle Division launched the effort, called Operation Human Freight, after noticing suspicious activity around truck stops along the I-5 corridor. Detectives set up at a northern Pierce County truck stop on November 25th and, over eight hours, contacted eleven women who were identified as victims of prostitution or human trafficking.

A 41-year-old Tacoma man with 19 prior felony convictions was arrested for human trafficking and promoting prostitution. Several other arrests were made for promoting prostitution and DUI.

WSP said the goal was to identify victims and connect them with services.