The Brief
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A recent Florida undercover operation led to a massive human trafficking bust.
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The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said they were able to arrest 29 people for prostitution and drug charges, as well as rescue four victims.
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Officials said they were able to provide resources to safely relocate and stabilize the victims.
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Detectives said they were able to arrest one of the suspects responsible for trafficking one of the victims during the investigation, and additional arrests related to the remaining three human trafficking victims are pending further investigation.
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – A recent Florida undercover operation has led to a massive human trafficking bust.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the operation led to the arrest of 29 people for prostitution and drug charges.
In addition, deputies reported rescuing four victims. They said they were able to provide resources to safely relocate and stabilize them.
What led to the arrests?
The backstory
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Bureau recently conducted a three-day human trafficking operation, which they called “Operation Forced Labor.”
Reports show that the operation was conducted from Feb. 6-8 at an undisclosed location in the central part of Lake County.
Deputies said the focus of the undercover operation was the identification, safe recovery and stabilization of human trafficking victims.
The investigation was a collaboration between detectives from the Clermont, Eustis, Leesburg and Mount Dora police departments, along with detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security.
During the operation, detectives said they worked in an undercover capacity using various known prostitution websites to solicit prostitutes and individuals looking for services provided by prostitutes.
During the operation, 33 individuals traveled to meet undercover detectives with the intent of engaging in criminal activity, officials stated.
Twenty-nine people were arrested in the recent undercover human trafficking bust. Those arrested include (from top left to right) Darion Smith, Zachary Schuler, Gabriel Farquer, Wesley Hall, Justin Meyers and Shawnee Rochester. (Credit: Lake County Sheriff’s Office)
What’s next
Detectives said they were able to arrest one of the suspects responsible for trafficking one of the victims during the investigation: Darion Smith.
Additional arrests related to the remaining three human trafficking victims are pending further investigation, reports show.
Officials from multiple organizations said they collaborated to help provide monetary aid to the victims to supplement necessary expenses associated with recovery and stabilization, such as food, clothing, temporary lodging and transportation.
Lead detectives said they plan to maintain communication with the victims to support continued stabilization efforts and to attempt to facilitate relationships between victims and non-governmental support organizations.
What they’re saying
“This was a collaborative effort,” Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell said. “Our detectives and other law enforcement partners worked very hard together to identify and rescue these victims of human trafficking and connect them to valuable resources that are available to assist them. We want these victims to know there is a way out.”
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The Source
This story was written based on information shared by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
