Nine persons are in custody after an undercover operation detained them for alleged human trafficking, Miami-Dade County prosecutors said Friday. The guys paid cash expecting to have sex with youngsters, but when they arrived, they were apprehended by law authorities, according to prosecutors.
Last month, various law enforcement organizations carried out an operation in which undercover police posed as youngsters in an advertisement designed to attract prostitutes and human traffickers. According to authorities, the men allegedly responded to adverts featuring photographs of young girls with a phone number. They met whom they assumed to be the victims’ moms at a hotel.
When they met in person, they allegedly discussed salary and what they would receive in return, as well as the ages of the victims, who ranged from 13 to 15. As they were given the key to the room and entered, the police were already inside and arrested the men on the spot.
“What I think is so important about this case is that there were no victims – there were no 13-, 14-, 15-year-olds who were forced to go via this, and yet we were able to identify ten predators who are now in prison … who are not out there looking for the real 13-, 14-, 15-year-olds to exploit,” said Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the state’s attorney.
All nine have been charged with human trafficking, which carries a maximum life sentence. They are all being jailed without bail and face various further charges. If you are a victim or want to report a case of human trafficking, contact the Miami-Dade Task Force at 305-FIX-STOP or the nationwide hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
