Officials with police in Minnesota have confirmed a member of the Alberta Legislature was arrested Monday, while in the United States on provincial government business.

Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA Mike Allen was arrested Monday night, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s office confirmed.

A spokesperson with the St. Paul Police Department told CTV News the arrest was made as part of an undercover operation.

“Last night, the St. Paul police department’s Human Trafficking Unit was engaged in one of their regular undercover operations targeting prostitution and the activity of prostitution,” Spokesperson Howie Padilla said in a phone interview. “During that activity 13 people were arrested.”

Padilla said one of the 13 men arrested was Allen, he said its alleged Allen solicited sexual services from a website called ‘backpage.com’.

“With two of our undercover officers, after soliciting sexual services for cash, he was taken into custody without incident,” Padilla said.

Allen was arrested on suspicion of engaging in prostitution, a misdemeanor – he was taken to the Ramsey County Adult Jail and released Tuesday morning, pending further investigation.

A statement issued by Allen Tuesday said “Pending resolution of this incident, I have resigned from the government caucus and all legislative committees effective immediately.

“I apologize to my family, my friends, my constituents, my colleagues, my staff and to all Albertans for the embarrassment I have caused in failing to live up to the standards expected of me and the standards I expect of myself.”

On Tuesday, Government Whip Steve Young confirmed to CTV News that Allen had tendered his resignation from the PC caucus – which Young accepted Tuesday morning.

“He recognized fully the gravity of the incident, and how it was perceived, actually and perceptually,” Young said. “He tendered his resignation, so we didn’t have to have much of a conversation about that.”

Young said he didn’t have many details on the incident, only that Allen called it an incident with an escort.

The arrest came while Allen was in St. Paul, Minnesota, to meet U.S. legislators attending the Council of State Governments Midwestern Legislative Conference from July 14 to 17.

Allen’s trip was part of a number of missions Alberta government members were on at about the same time – as Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations Cal Dallas and Minister of Energy Ken Hughes are in Anchorage, Alaska, from July 14 to 18.

The province said last week the meetings were an effort to increase market access, and cross-border trade within the region.

With files from Brenna Rose