• Department of Homeland Security auditor allegedly told police “I’m ICE, boys” upon arrest
• Operation Creep targeted suspects attempting to solicit sex from underage decoy
• One suspect arrived with cocaine, methamphetamine and eight firearms

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (TDR) — A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employee was among 16 men arrested in a three-day operation targeting individuals allegedly attempting to solicit sex from someone they believed to be a 17-year-old girl, Bloomington police announced Tuesday.

Alexander Steven Back, 41, of Robbinsdale, allegedly told arresting officers “I’m ICE, boys” when taken into custody November 13, according to Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges. The civilian auditor for the Department of Homeland Security was immediately placed on administrative leave following his arrest.

Operation targets sophisticated trafficking network

“Operation Creep” began November 5 and involved undercover officers using various communication methods to engage with adults allegedly attempting to purchase sex from who they believed was a minor. The multiagency investigation included the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and police departments from Richfield, Eden Prairie, Roseville and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

For the life of me, I don’t understand why people want to come here and do this. We arrested 16 people. There’s a song by Radiohead ‘I’m a creep,’ every single one of these guys that did this is a creep.

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Hodges described the sophisticated nature of modern trafficking operations, explaining that potential buyers contact websites answered by handlers in different countries who then arrange meetings with trafficked individuals domestically. The chief noted that technological advances have made such operations increasingly difficult to combat.

Multiple government employees implicated

Beyond the ICE employee, suspects include a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency staffer, a Metro Transit bus driver, and an employee of the Brown County Historical Society, according to police. The 16 men arrested range in age from 18 to 52, with 14 from Minnesota, one from Maryland and another from Pennsylvania.

Police released drone footage showing one suspect arriving at a hotel with a bag allegedly containing cocaine, methamphetamine, and eight firearms. Another suspect who allegedly told officers he planned to arrive armed was tackled by police as he entered the meeting location.

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Jacobe Timler, 41, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency employee, allegedly brought four grams of methamphetamine to the arranged meeting, Hodges said. At least three suspects were found in possession of drugs, and two were armed.

Federal investigation underway

An ICE spokesperson confirmed Back was hired in 2022 under the Biden administration and worked as an I-9 auditor. The agency emphasized that Back “was not and has never been a law enforcement officer.” ICE is cooperating with local authorities and conducting its own internal investigation through the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility.

According to criminal complaints, Back allegedly responded to an advertisement created by officers on November 13. An officer posing as a 17-year-old named “Bella” communicated with Back, stating multiple times that she was underage. Back allegedly arrived at the designated Bloomington location in a vehicle registered to his wife.

Back was booked into Hennepin County Jail on November 13 and released two days later on $75,000 bond. He has been charged with a prostitution-related felony offense of hiring or agreeing to hire a person believed to be under 18 but at least 16 years old. He did not enter a plea at his initial November 17 court appearance and is scheduled to return to court December 17.

Similar operations yield arrests

Hodges noted that the operation mirrors a similar sting conducted in March that resulted in the arrest of former Minnesota State Senator Justin Eichorn, a Republican who is currently facing federal solicitation charges. Eichorn resigned his Senate seat following his arrest and has pleaded not guilty.

The chief said his department partners with other agencies frequently to crack down on soliciting minors for sex and conducts multiple operations per year. Hodges urged lawmakers to consider measures restricting online platforms used by offenders, noting the increasing technological sophistication of trafficking networks.

Will increased scrutiny of federal employees lead to stricter oversight and accountability measures within immigration enforcement agencies?

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