Tukwila Raids: Dozens Arrested In Massive Police Sting
In a series of Takwila raids on Tuesday morning in Washington, police raided three motels which were known by authorities to be crime hotbeds.
Tukwila police planned the operation following a year-long investigation into the motels. Evidence was gathered against the owners of the establishments, with claims of drug selling, money-laundering, and prostitution.The sting type operation was planned and meticulously executed by the police.
Street crews set up traffic cones, making out that some kind of roadworks were going to begin on the 14400 block of Tukwila International Boulevard, where the motels are located.
Over 400 hundred police officers and Federal agents took part in the Tukwila raids on Tuesday morning. Video footage from a KOMO helicopter shows an armored SWAT vehicle outside one of the locations which was raided. A bunch of officers can also be seen entering the motels and taking people away in handcuffs.
The three motels are to be seized by agents with a view to boarding them up now and selling them in the long term. Court files identify the three buildings as the Boulevard Motel, The Great Bear Motor Inn and The Travelers Choice Motel. In a shocking statistic, it was alleged that, from 2001 to 2012, these three motels accounted for 17 percent of police call outs in Tukwila.
According to the police, the motel owners not only knew about the crimes being perpetrated at their businesses but also actively participated. Other crimes reported at the motels are rape, robbery, gun crimes, and possession of stolen property.
US Attorney Jenny A. Durkkan said about the raids in a statement: “Today we seek to hold the hotel owners accountable for their crimes, strip them of their criminal dens and make this area of the community safer”
Jim Modzelewski, the Special Agent in charge at the Tukwila raids said: “These businesses have been a haven for violence and gang activity for several years. Today’s operation should have a lasting positive impact on crime in Tukwila.”
