A huge human trafficking bust in Florida resulted in 228 arrests, with the alleged perpetrators including dozens of unlawful migrants, a few members of the armed forces, a former deputy, and a teacher.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) announced the results of an eight-day crackdown on prostitution dubbed “Operation March Sadness 2024” in late February. The bust was led by undercover agents from PCSO’s Vice Unit with the help of detectives from several local police agencies, including the Auburndale, Davenport, and Haines City police departments.
Of the 228 people arrested, 150 were allegedly attempting to purchase sex, and eight more were suspected of profiting from or helping operate the illicit sale of sexual services.
“This is a new record number of arrests during an investigation of this kind,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd in a news release.
Among those arrested, 21 were unlawful migrants hailing from Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, Chile, Cuba, and Peru. Eighteen suspects were from other U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Several suspects were allegedly carrying illegal drugs — 44 in total — and firearms, with a total of 17 weapons being seized by officers.
At a press conference, Judd showed photos of those arrested during the sting and provided their names.
He noted that three of the individuals encountered were affiliated with the U.S. Air Force, the highest ranking being a staff sergeant. Two more suspects included a math teacher and a middle school volleyball coach.
A former PCSO detention deputy was also taken into custody, with Judd explaining that the 23-year-old had resigned last year after being arrested in Orange County.
“Dude, what are you doing?” Judd recounted having asked him during an interview. “You went from being a stellar employee to committing moral crimes, and it’s two in a month.”
Two teenage brothers were also arrested on attempted armed robbery and loitering charges after allegedly showing up to the undercover location armed with a BB gun and wearing masks.
Social services were also involved in the law enforcement action, helping to identify and offer assistance to human trafficking victims. There were an estimated 13 victims among the 66 prostitutes arrested during the bust. As Judd explained, this brings PCSO’s total of individuals rescued from traffickers in a year to 58.
“The valuable relationships that we have with the social services organizations who join us in these operations make it possible for these women to get help and be emancipated from this way of life,” he said in a statement.
In Dallas, there had been a total of eight human trafficking cases reported this year as of March 5, according to data from the City’s crime analytics dashboard. Nonetheless, in Texas, Dallas is second only to Houston in terms of sex trafficking activity, while Texas is No.2 compared to other states nationwide, according to research from the University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas).
As previously covered in The Dallas Express, a needs assessment conducted by UT Dallas researchers pointed out the various ways that staffing issues have hindered DPD’s fight against human trafficking. For instance, high turnover has led to community partners often not knowing who to reach out to when the need arises.
“The turnover was not just at the line officer level but went from the top down to include captains, lieutenants, sergeants, detectives, and civilian staff,” explained Whitney Sanders, a graduate research assistant with UT Dallas’ Institute for Urban Policy Research.
The Dallas Police Department fields around 3,000 officers, but a City analysis called for a force of around 4,000 to adequately ensure public safety. Moreover, City leaders voted for a budget of just $654 million for police this year, considerably less than the spending levels seen in other high-crime jurisdictions like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.