POLK COUNTY, Fla. (TNND) — A sweeping, multi-agency undercover operation targeting alleged human trafficking and child predators in Florida led to 266 arrests and 439 charges, authorities announced on Friday.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described it as one of the largest crackdowns of its kind in the region. He added that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) helped with the investigation, as 34 arrests included illegal 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 said during a 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 felony 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 criminal histories included a combined total of 1,028 charges: 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.
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The operation is the latest in a series of large-scale stings in Polk County, where officials have repeatedly used undercover tactics to target human trafficking and child exploitation.
