Florida human trafficking sting nabs 157 people, including 25 illegal immigrants
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said some of the illegal immigrants arrested in the sting allegedly received benefits from the federal government when they entered the country.
Florida law enforcement officials arrested 157 people during a human trafficking sting, including 25 illegal immigrants, some of whom allegedly received benefits from the federal government after stepping foot into the country.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd was joined with representatives from various other law enforcement agencies from places like Marion County, Lake County, Auburndale, Clermont, Davenport, Winter Haven, Lakeland and Tampa, when he announced that "Operation Autumn Sweep" resulted in the arrest of 157 suspects involved in illegal acts related to soliciting prostitutes, offering to commit prostitution, and aiding and abetting prostitutes. Three others were arrested for traveling to sexually batter children.
The operation began on Oct. 2, and the investigation found that four possible human trafficking victims were identified out of the 47 prostitutes who showed up to undercover locations to commit prostitution.
Judd’s office said 96 suspects were arrested for soliciting prostitution, and out of the 157 people arrested, there were 35 felonies, and 201 misdemeanors issued.
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"The approach of Hurricane Milton caused us to end our investigation earlier than planned, but it’s still amazing that in such a short amount of time we were able to put 157 people in jail, and three child predators," Judd said.
Out of the 157 people who were arrested, the sheriff explained, 25 were in the U.S. illegally from countries like Cuba, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Venezuela.
"Sixteen percent of these total arrests were people who should not even have been in this country," the sheriff said. "But they were here, and they were here because we have a federal government that enabled these criminals to come into the country, and they treated them very well after the criminals came here illegally."
Judd shared the story of a female suspect who came to the U.S. with her child. The woman told investigators she flew into Mexico from Venezuela and then walked across the border from Mexico into El Paso, Texas, with her child.
Judd said when the woman arrived in Texas, she was greeted by the Border Patrol.
"There is no border security at the southern border. Zero. It doesn’t exist," Judd said.
He continued, saying the woman went to the Border Patrol processing center where she completed the process and was placed in a housing facility for migrants.
The woman said she was given a DNA test to make sure her DNA matched her child’s, and once that was done, she was told about the benefits she could get in the U.S.
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According to Judd, the woman was told she was eligible for programs like Medicaid and SNAP. She allegedly then got a free trip from Texas to Chicago, and after arriving there, she could not find employment.
Judd said the woman decided to go to Florida and was even given a free flight to the Sunshine State.
"She was given free housing, all because the United States paid for that. That’s right. Use the taxpayers," Judd said. "This was not a stealthful act, and they gave her free travel, free housing, free food, free medical care. All while people from the hurricane are still waiting for help."
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Judd also said four of the women listed as human trafficking victims were smuggled across the border, two of whom admitted to having to pay off a coyote debt of $6,000.
"Make no mistake about it, the government is complicit and is aiding and abetting human trafficking in the United States," Judd said. "In addition to that, there is a wide-open border where fentanyl is coming across, and that is encouraged, and as a result of that, we have thousands upon thousands of people dying in the United States. And then the best that our federal politicians can say was, ‘well, it didn't kill as many people this year as last year.’"
The Polk County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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In addition to the illegal immigrants, Judd’s office said 26 suspects told detectives they are married; nine said they received government assistance; 10 brought illegal drugs like cocaine, MDMA and marijuana to the locations where they planned to meet; 10 firearms were brought to the undercover location; and 131 suspects were from outside of Polk County, including nine states and the United Kingdom.
The oldest person arrested in the sting was 61, while the youngest was 15.
Judd’s office also said three suspects were active-duty military or veterans, three worked at Disney World; three had previously been arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in similar stings; and several said they left their spouse or fiancé at home while they were at work, going to a store or hitting the gym.
