A Minnesotan Immigration and Customs Enforcement employee, 41-year-old Alexander Steven Back, recently tried to use his job title to elude repercussions from allegedly getting caught during a minor sex solicitation sting that led to arrests for him and 15 others. Back was part of the “Operation Creep” mission in Minnesota. Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges announced at a news conference on November 18, 2025, that his squad had set up advertisements offering prostitution services on November 13. Back’s criminal complaint, which People obtained, states that he responded to the ad and exchanged messages with an officer posing as a 17-year-old minor, “Bella.”
There is an old saying written by British historian Lord Acton that I didn’t understand for the longest time: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” But time and time again, that notion applies too aptly for everyone from government officials to middle managers. It isn’t an inherent pipeline necessarily, but a huge trend is watching someone ascend the ranks of society and immediately feeling like they are invincible. The reason I never really understood it is because it almost always ends up getting that power-drunk person in trouble, like this ICE officer.
“U ok if I’m a lil younger than my ad says… just wanna be honest,” the message read from “Bella.”
Back allegedly replied, “Sure.”
“K cause I am 17 and one guy got hella mad at me,” the officer replied, per People. Back then asked if they were “with the cops” but the officer promised he wasn’t and gave him an address where they could meet.
Back allegedly arrived in a vehicle registered to his wife, and police immediately arrested him and seized his phone. When officers arrested Back, he reportedly called out, “I’m ICE, boys,” Hodges claimed.
It clearly made no difference.
Speaking with NBC News, a representative for ICE said Back was hired in 2022. He served as an auditor for I-9 forms, which show an employee’s eligibility to be hired, and was not a law enforcement officer with the agency.
“Following his arrest, ICE immediately placed Alexander Back on administrative leave,” the representative said. “ICE is working with local authorities as well as conducting its own investigation via the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility.”
Hodges explained in the conference how the sting operation worked, NBC News went on to report.
“If you want to purchase sex from a trafficked person, you would call a number or go on the website,” Hodges said. “That website would get answered by a person in a different country, that person in a different country would call the handler here and arrange for the meeting with the sex worker.”
Authorities booked Back into Hennepin County Jail on November 13. He was released two days later on a $75,000 bond and did not enter a plea at his initial hearing November 17. He is due back in court December 17.
The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office encourages anyone who encounters a child or adult they suspect to be a victim of trafficking to call 911 or law enforcement if anyone is in immediate danger. Civilians are also encouraged to use the Safe Harbor regional navigator to report any “non emergency” cases. People can also call the National Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text “HELP” to Polaris Project’s BeFree Textline at 233733.
