A large-scale operation, titled “Fool Around and Find Out,” successfully apprehended 255 individuals suspected of human trafficking, child exploitation, and illegal immigration in Central Florida.
The operation led by Polk County, Florida, spanned nine days in May and resulted in the highest number of arrests recorded in a single sting by the sheriff’s department.
Sheriff Grady Judd explained to Fox News Digital that the operation was a collaborative effort involving several law enforcement agencies, including the first-time participation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within the Central Florida department.
“We made a lot of arrests. Our team preps in advance. We know what places to go on social media to find those evil people or to set up for them to come to us, so they did a remarkable job.”
Detectives charged a total of 102 felonies and 284 misdemeanors during the investigation. (Getty Images)
Judd said Polk County has a zero-tolerance stance on criminal activity.
“This is not the last one. This is just the last one. There’s going to be another one, and another one and another one.”
Judd’s message is clear: those who come to Florida with criminal intent will not remain in the shadows and will be publicly held accountable.
“Florida is the vacation state. People come from all around the world with their children,” he said. “We want to make sure that it’s a safe environment, and it is.”
“If you think you’re gonna sneak here and, ‘Hey, what goes on in Florida stays in Florida’, that’s wrong,” he said. ” I’ll put you on blast all across the nation, and that’s a guarantee.”
