‘They can’t run and they can’t hide’: Undercover operation in Omaha arrests and patterns

"If your child has a telephone, that is a vulnerability," Homeland Security Investigations official said in an exclusive interview.

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Undercover operation in Omaha leads to arrests; Offender patterns; Child online safety tips

OMAHA, Neb. —

Resources surrounding human trafficking available at the end of this story.

Homeland Security Investigations led an undercover sting operation to catch people looking to have sex with children in the Omaha community.

Through the computer: that’s how undercover agents connected with 146 people interested in commercial sex. The number dwindled to 46 once agents said the worker was a minor, and five people actually showed up, which ended with them in handcuffs.

There are five men accused of attempted sex trafficking of a minor. All of them had initial appearances in federal court except Jocsan Aparicio-Santos.

The only person a federal judge granted pretrial release to is Tillian Hutton because his partner is having their child soon. The judge ordered various release conditions, including an electronic monitoring device, a curfew, no possession or use of internet devices, and no contact with anyone under the age of 18 except for his child.

Officials involved in the sting operation said these arrests signify the reason why parents need to have conversations with their children about online safety.

“If your child has a telephone, that is a vulnerability,” said Iowa HSI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Eric Cardiel. “So, the first step is for parents to be aware of the problem. Second step is to find resources.”

Cardiel’s team assisted in this undercover operation. “These predators are in our community, and they’re looking for sex and sex with children,” he said.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska, Lesley Woods, said the biggest pattern they identified was three repeat child sex offenders.

“The prior sentences, and the time that they spent in prison before, were not effective in rehabilitating them,” Woods said. “They were still willing to go out and try to hurt a child again.”

In an exclusive sit-down interview with Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, we asked what the state could do better to prevent these repeat child sex offenders from roaming the streets.

“We’re always looking for more tools,” Hilgers said. “Oftentimes, it’s more financial resources for the fight. But, I think at least from a state perspective, we have a lot of the tools we need to put bad people behind bars.”

Hilgers stressed the significance of public tips and recognizing the signs of trafficking.

“We want people to understand the signs of human trafficking in the same way because that is what actually puts daylight on the offenders where they know they can’t run and they can’t hide,” Hilgers said.

Woods said with everything online, it’s important for parents to have conversations about safety with their children.

“Know the applications on your child’s devices and how to control them,” Woods said. “If they are the type of application where you can’t really see the communications, you might need to take those off those devices altogether to be safe.”

Human trafficking resources and educational events

Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign
- Educational material
- Report suspect human trafficking to 1-866-347-2423
- If you’re a victim, call 1-888-373-788 or text HELP
Nebraska Human Trafficking Task Force Summit – registration link here
- What: Attorney General Hilgers will host the third annual summit, which brings together law enforcement, educators, and the community to put an end to human trafficking.
- When: Sept. 15, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Where: UNL Innovation Campus Conference Center
National Human Trafficking Hotline (available 24 hours a day and provides translations of over 200 languages)
Nebraska Human Trafficking Hotline (available 24 hours a day)
- For reporting: 833-PLS-LOOK or 833-757-5665
- For victims: 888-373-7888
OPD’s Threat Incident Prevention System (TIPS)
Project Harmony’s Missing and Anti-Trafficking Youth Services
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children