OGDEN, UTAH – A Gilbert, Arizona man, Jordan Jensen, is in custody after being charged with 3 counts of Human Trafficking and 9 counts of Possession of Another’s Identity Documents. The Utah Attorney General’s Office working closely with the Mexican Consulate and Asian Association of Utah, arrested Jensen, the owner/operator of Midway West Amusements, Inc.
According to the Utah Attorney General’s Office, law enforcement was alerted that the company was illegally inducing more than 20 Mexican Nationals to work for the company’s traveling carnival. All the workers were legally in the United States, with H2B Visas and Passports that had been kept from them to keep them from leaving the group.
The case was brought to light by two Mexican nationals, who escaped the company, contacted the Mexican Consulate. The victims say Midway West Amusements kept their visas and passports from them to prevent the people from leaving; essentially holding their legal status in the United States hostage.