MANATEE COUNTY, Fla — Seventeen people are behind bars after they were arrested in connection to a Manatee County human trafficking operation.
The Manatee County Sheriff's Office said in a news release on Monday that over the last several months – along with the help of Crimes Against Children and the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force – it executed "Operation Refuge," focused on arresting people who knowingly participated in human trafficking.
Authorities said they conducted undercover operations and search warrants at illicit massage parlors to make the arrests and help save victims' lives.
"Operation Refuge resulted in 17 arrests and the recovery of one victim," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "Detectives also gathered information on other possible victims."
Part of the operation included investigators going undercover on Thursday and Friday to arrest people who responded to online advertisements to have sex with minors. Deputies say 189 people responded to the ads on adult websites and knew they were going to meet with minors with the intent to have sex with them.
The accused people were reportedly under the impression that they were talking to girls who were 15 years old or younger, and after being told that information, they continued to talk to them.
The sheriff's office says six men of the 189 people who responded to the ad made plans to meet up with a minor and were arrested after paying money to have sex with them.
The identity of those six men and the charges they are facing can be seen below:
- Andrew Lang, 44 - Engaging in human trafficking labor, traveling to meet a minor and unlawful use of a two-way communications device
- Edward Aji, 35 - Engaging in human trafficking labor, traveling to meet a minor and unlawful use of a two-way communications device
- Jerome Jeffson, 26 – Engaging in human trafficking labor, traveling to meet a minor and unlawful use of a two-way communications device
- Juan Ojeda, 29 - Engaging in human trafficking labor, traveling to meet a minor and unlawful use of a two-way communications device
- Marckendy Dariste, 32 - Engaging in human trafficking labor and traveling to meet a minor
- Miguel De La Cruz, 21 - Engaging in human trafficking labor, traveling to meet a minor and unlawful use of a two-way communications device
During the time the six men were arrested, law enforcement says 10 women were put behind bars for prostitution after they came to a hotel following the communication with undercover chatters and accepted money in exchange for sexual acts.
The third part of the operation occurred when authorities served three search warrants at the following massage businesses:
- Royal Relaxation on Whitfield Avenue - Deriving support from proceeds of prostitution charge pending for owner
- Latin Relaxation on Cortez Road West - Deriving support from proceeds of prostitution charge pending for employee
- VIP Sauna on North Tamiami Trail - cited for many business violations by the Manatee County Code Enforcement
"Detectives continue to work with Code Enforcement to permanently shut down the businesses," the news release mentioned. "Sun Spa on 15th Street East in Sarasota has already been closed as a result of Operation Refuge."