266 arrested, including 34 in US illegally, in Florida sting

POLK COUNTY, Fla. (TNND) — A sweeping, multi-agency undercover operation focusing on alleged human trafficking and youngster predators in Florida led to 266 arrests and 439 costs, authorities introduced on Friday.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described it as one of many largest crackdowns of its variety in the area. He added that the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) helped with the investigation, as 34 arrests included unlawful immigrants.

“Now, you’ve watched all of this national media stuff and, ‘Oh, how horrible ICE is.’ Well, that’s just absolutely unequivocally false,” Judd mentioned throughout to news conference. “ICE has been nothing but the best partner we could ever ask for as we worked together to ensure that the people of Florida — and the United States — are safe.

Dubbed”Polk Around and Find Out,” the six-day investigation brought together local, state, and federal partners to identify and arrest suspects accused of crimes ranging from soliciting prostitution to attempting to have sex with minors.

Nineteen suspects — including a 68-year-old man who is well-known for portraying Santa Claus — were arrested on criminal charges tied to traveling to meet a child for sex or similar offenses, while the remaining 247 arrests stemmed from prostitution- and trafficking-related activity.

Investigators said the operation resulted in 439 total charges, including nearly 300 felonies, and 141 misdemeanors. It also revealed extensive criminal histories among those arrested.

“The suspects’ prior legal histories included a mixed whole of 1,028 costs: 400 felonies, 519 misdemeanors,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Aside from ICE, the effort involved a wide range of agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, abd multiple area police departments and sheriff’s offices, as well as state prosecutors.

Social service organizations were also embedded with detectives to assist potential victims and provide support services.

Authorities said suspects were caught through a combination of undercover operations, online stings and coordinated enforcement efforts designed to disrupt trafficking networks and prevent exploitation.

The operation is the most recent in a sequence of large-scale stings in Polk County, the place officers have repeatedly used undercover techniques to focus on human trafficking and youngster exploitation.