Florida Human Trafficking Sting Arrests 157, Including Illegal Aliens Receiving Federal Benefits

A human trafficking sting in Florida led to the arrest of 157 individuals, 25 of whom were illegal aliens, many of whom reportedly received federal benefits after entering the U.S. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced the arrests following the conclusion of “Operation Autumn Sweep,” a multi-county effort targeting prostitution and human trafficking.

The sting, which involved law enforcement from Polk, Marion, and Lake counties, focused on criminal activities like soliciting prostitution, aiding and abetting prostitution, and sexual exploitation of children. According to Judd, 96 of those arrested were charged with soliciting prostitution, and three were charged with traveling to sexually exploit children.

Judd emphasized the issue of illegal immigration, noting that 25 of the individuals arrested were in the country illegally, hailing from countries such as Honduras, Venezuela, and Mexico. “Sixteen percent of these total arrests were people who should not even have been in this country,” Judd stated, adding that these individuals had received benefits like Medicaid and food assistance upon entering the U.S.

One notable case involved a Venezuelan woman who entered the U.S. illegally with her child and received free housing and transportation funded by taxpayer dollars. Judd used this example to highlight what he sees as the federal government enabling illegal immigration while law-abiding Americans struggle with disaster recovery efforts.

The operation also identified four victims of human trafficking, two of whom were smuggled across the southern border. Sheriff Judd criticized the federal government for not doing enough to stop human trafficking and the flow of illegal drugs like fentanyl into the U.S.

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