A massive human trafficking sting operation in Polk County, Florida, known as “Operation Autumn Sweep,” led to the arrest of 157 individuals, including three Disney employees and 25 illegal immigrants, authorities revealed on Thursday. The operation also resulted in the rescue of four potential human trafficking victims, adding to the urgency of addressing trafficking and exploitation issues in the area.
The suspects arrested were accused of a variety of offenses, including soliciting prostitution, offering to commit prostitution, and more serious charges involving human trafficking. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd held a press conference Thursday to discuss the results of the sting. According to Judd, among the arrested were 47 individuals charged with prostitution, 96 who were clients soliciting sex, one human trafficker, and 14 suspects with additional charges.
Judd provided more context regarding the demographics of those arrested, noting that the group collectively had an extensive criminal history, with 327 prior felony charges and 400 misdemeanor charges. The ages of those involved ranged from a 61-year-old client to a 15-year-old boy, who was soliciting services.
A significant portion of the suspects, 16 percent, were identified as illegal immigrants, highlighting what Judd described as a broader issue with the country’s immigration policies. “These people should not even have been in this country, but they were here,” Judd remarked during the press conference. “We have a federal government that enabled these criminals to come into the country and then treated them very well after they arrived illegally.” His pointed criticism targeted the federal government’s handling of immigration enforcement, which he suggested has contributed to increased criminal activity in the state.
Among the victims rescued in the operation, two were illegal immigrants who had been trafficked by criminal organizations. According to Judd, these women were forced to repay their smuggling debts by engaging in prostitution, at times being forced to have sex up to 20 times a day. If they refused, their traffickers would physically abuse them, choking and slapping them to ensure their compliance.
In addition to the arrests tied to human trafficking, the sheriff revealed that 26 of the suspects were married, and several were engaged, adding another layer of personal fallout from the operation. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed that three of those arrested worked at Disney World, a fact that caught media attention.
Three other suspects were charged with attempting to solicit sex from individuals they believed to be children. These arrests were made after suspects engaged in online conversations with undercover agents posing as minors. The individuals were charged with offenses such as traveling to meet a minor, attempting lewd and lascivious acts, and using a computer to seduce a child. Among those arrested for child exploitation, one was a Disney World employee, another was a Florida-based worker from another state, and the third was an illegal immigrant.
Judd used the press conference to express frustration with the frequent involvement of Disney employees in such stings. “What would any of our undercover operations be—where we’re dealing with human trafficking, prostitution, child predators—without Disney?” Judd remarked. “We always arrest Disney employees.”
The arrests come amidst growing concerns over human trafficking, particularly among immigrant children entering the U.S. under current border policies. Reports indicate that the number of sex-trafficked immigrant children has surged during the Biden-Harris administration’s term. Customs and Border Protection agents have consistently warned that children being smuggled across the border are highly vulnerable to exploitation, often ending up in the hands of traffickers or forced into prostitution.
The situation is further exacerbated by the administration’s inability to track a significant number of immigrant minors. According to recent admissions, the federal government has lost track of approximately 300,000 immigrant children, raising fears about their safety and well-being.
As authorities continue to crack down on human trafficking, operations like Autumn Sweep highlight the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces in combating trafficking networks and the systemic issues tied to illegal immigration and border control. Meanwhile, the involvement of major employers, like Disney, in such operations draws attention to the broader societal implications of the problem.
