Nineteen men were arrested this week in a prostitution sting conducted by the Ramsey County sheriff's office and St. Paul police.
The operation took place Monday and Tuesday at an undisclosed hotel in Shoreview, according to Randy Gustafson, spokesman for the sheriff's office.
Law enforcement posted an ad offering adult services on Backpage.com, a website often used for human trafficking.
Nineteen men who responded to the ad were arrested on suspicion of engaging in prostitution in a public place, Gustafson said. One additional man was cited and released for lurking with the intent to commit prostitution, Gustafson added.
The men ranged in age from 25 to 69 and came from cities including St. Paul, Ham Lake, Maplewood, Little Canada, Woodbury, Brooklyn Park, Oakdale, Burnsville and Canton, Ohio.
As of Wednesday evening, the men had not been charged, Gustafson said, adding a few had been released pending further investigation.
The sting was the first one conducted by the Ramsey County sheriff's office this year, though the sheriff's office has assisted in other agencies' efforts.
"St. Paul's human trafficking unit has been so successful in the city with doing these stings so now we are kind of shifting the effort out into the suburbs," Gustafson said.
