Florida Human Trafficking Sting Nets 157 Arrests, Including 25 Illegal Aliens
A large-scale human trafficking operation in Florida led to the arrest of 157 individuals, including 25 illegal immigrants, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. The sting, called “Operation Autumn Sweep,” targeted prostitution and trafficking activities across multiple counties and resulted in a significant number of arrests. Judd revealed that many of the illegal immigrants involved had received federal benefits after entering the country.
The operation, which began on October 2, involved law enforcement agencies from several counties, including Marion, Lake, and Polk. Among the 157 arrests, 96 were for soliciting prostitution. Other charges ranged from aiding prostitution to attempting to sexually exploit minors. Three individuals were arrested for traveling with the intent to sexually assault children.
Judd pointed out that 25 of the individuals arrested were illegal immigrants from countries like Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela. The sheriff emphasized that a significant portion of those arrested should not have been in the country. “Sixteen percent of these total arrests were people who should not even have been in this country,” Judd stated, criticizing the federal government’s handling of immigration.
One story that emerged from the sting involved a woman from Venezuela who crossed into the U.S. illegally with her child. According to Judd, the woman received federal benefits, free housing, and transportation to different parts of the country, including Florida. “She was given free housing, all because the United States paid for that,” Judd said, highlighting the issue of illegal immigrants receiving taxpayer-funded benefits.
The operation also uncovered four victims of human trafficking, two of whom reported paying $6,000 to their traffickers to be smuggled into the U.S. Judd criticized the federal government for allowing these practices to continue, calling it complicit in aiding human trafficking.