Florida Is Fighting Human Trafficking

On Sunday, The Conservative Review posted an article about recent arrests in Florida for human trafficking.

The article reports:

There were 160 people arrested during an undercover sting targeting human trafficking. A Disney employee, corrections officer, a former deputy police chief, and teachers were among those arrested.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office led several law enforcement agencies in an undercover investigation called “Operation Fall Haul 2.” The seven-day sting operation focused on cracking down on human trafficking crimes.

During the press conference about Operation Fall Haul, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd joked, “Where would we be with an undercover operation and no Disney employees? Oh yes, we always have Disney employees.”

Disney bellhop Guillermo Perez, 57, was arrested after trying to have sex with an undercover detective for $80, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Samy Claude, 26, who was often contracted by Disney as a photographer, was also arrested. He reportedly attempted to have sex with an undercover cop and offered her a bag of sour Skittles.

Keith Nieves, 24, was arrested for two counts of soliciting a prostitute. Nieves is a correctional officer at the Lake County Correctional Institution.

Jason DiPrima, 49, allegedly gave an undercover detective $180 and a multi-pack of White Claw Hard Seltzer. At the time of his arrest, DiPrima was the Deputy Chief of Administration for the Cartersville Police Department in Georgia. DiPrima has since resigned from his position.

The article concludes:

Law enforcement seized cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, MDMA (Ecstasy), and marijuana during the undercover sting.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said seven people were arrested and suspected of being in the country illegally.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said it had encountered two human trafficking victims during the operation, along with five other possible victims.

WFLA reported, “One of the victims deputies encountered was a woman who was 10 weeks pregnant and was given drugs and fentanyl in hopes to abort her unborn child, who she did not want.”

For the human trafficking victims, the operation had the following social service organizations to assist: One More Child, Heartland for Children, My Name My Voice, and the Children’s Home Society of Florida.

“From the moment they come into the operation, we want to immediately hand them off to our social service friends and our counselors so they can begin working with these victims of human trafficking,” Judd noted.

Thank God they arrested the people they arrested and are helping the victims, but this is the tip of the iceberg. We need every state to do the kind of detective work that ends this practice.