A sweeping nine-day human trafficking sting in central Florida led to 255 arrests and drew in multiple agencies — including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — with dozens of foreign nationals involved, including individuals from Cuba and Haiti.
The operation, which began May 2 and was led by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in partnership with ICE and other federal and state law enforcement, targeted crimes related to prostitution, solicitation, and child exploitation. Among those arrested were foreign nationals from countries including Venezuela, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, Haiti, Colombia, Guatemala, and Brazil.
ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Miami – Tampa sub-office interviewed over 50 foreign-born individuals, placing more than 30 immigration detainers on noncitizens currently in custody. These individuals face a range of criminal charges — from soliciting prostitutes to attempting to have sex with minors — and will be transferred into ICE custody for removal proceedings after their criminal cases are adjudicated.
“ICE is in a unique position to enforce immigration law in the interior of the U.S. with its broad investigatory authorities and law enforcement capabilities,” said ICE ERO Assistant Field Office Director David Gritte. “Our congressionally mandated mission is to preserve public safety and national security by keeping dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities. We prioritize public safety over politics. Brave officers are on the streets every day, risking their lives to locate, arrest and remove the most egregious criminal aliens in line with the president’s policy of ‘worst first.’”
“We are committed to our partnerships in these efforts to identity and combat predators engaged in human trafficking and child exploitation,” he said.
The operation also targeted individuals seeking sexual contact with children. An ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) task force officer and a forensic interview specialist worked undercover, engaging with suspects online and conducting post-arrest interviews to identify possible trafficking victims. ICE officials say the HSI officer was responsible for six of the 10 arrests involving so-called “travelers” — individuals accused of arranging sexual encounters with minors.
“It is extremely disturbing when we encounter nasty child predators like these who are very eager to have sex with children,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “This is why we conduct these types of undercover operations. Keeping children safe is our number one priority, and we appreciate our partnering agencies, without whom we would not be as successful in apprehending these dangerous offenders.”
ICE reiterated that individuals unlawfully present in the U.S. who are found during such operations may be detained and processed for removal under federal immigration law.
