Over 200 including Disney employees, teachers arrested for human trafficking in Florida

Over 200 people, including a teacher and three Disney employees, have been taken into custody by the Sheriff’s Office in Florida following a weeklong crackdown on human trafficking. Authorities in Polk County have proudly announced the apprehension of 219 individuals as part of an operation named ‘Traffic Stop 2’. A press briefing revealed that 83 suspects were apprehended on charges of soliciting prostitutes.

🚨🚨Breaking: School coach, and 3 Disney employees among those arrested in human trafficking sting in Polk County, Florida. 219 people arrested including 35 illegal immigrants. 44 felonies and 242 misdemeanors charged. Operation Traffic Stop was a joint op involving several… pic.twitter.com/wfoUkCQPy8

— Will (@WillSaveTheKids) September 28, 2023

The investigation brought to light 21 potential victims of human trafficking among the 119 prostitutes apprehended. Two individuals, namely Maria Guzman, 36, and Freddy Escalona, 30, face charges related to human trafficking and profiting from prostitution. Escalona allegedly coerced a woman into prostitution after lending her $2,200 to repair her vehicle, which she couldn’t repay. He was apprehended after confessing to having ‘several’ women working for him, taking the victim to an undisclosed location. Officials allege that he forced the woman into prostitution even after her debt had been settled. Guzman is accused of arranging appointments for two young women she was exploiting for prostitution, taking a significant cut of their earnings. According to Sheriff Judd, Guzman met these women online and convinced them to move from Minnesota to Orlando, purportedly for construction work, although the nature of this “construction” was sexual encounters. Among those arrested was Russell Rogers from Winter Haven, Florida, a married man with three children. Rogers, who serves as the athletic director at Vanguard School and teaches at Auburndale High School, faced charges for arranging sexual encounters with a prostitute. Sheriff Judd recounted, ‘He came for sex, and we arrested him. He’s in custody and says, “Hey dudes, y’all got to hurry up.” We asked why, and he replied, “My wife and daughter are arriving at Orlando airport; I need to pick them up.” We told him, “Hey coach, you messed up big time; you’re going to jail.”’ Polk County Schools expressed disappointment in a statement to Fox13, stating, ‘We’re disappointed to learn that one of our employees was involved in this type of behavior. These charges don’t involve students, and Rogers was not on duty as a teacher, but such conduct has no place in our school system.’ Sheriff Judd also revealed that Rogers had negotiated for unprotected sex, exclaiming, ‘I can’t believe we’d want someone like this near our children.’ Meanwhile, three Disney employees—Kenneth Green, Marquis Nixon, and Carlos Ro—also faced arrest for soliciting prostitutes during the operation. Sheriff Judd quipped, ‘What kind of operation would it be if we didn’t arrest someone employed by Disney?’ According to law enforcement, Green works as a training coordinator, Nixon in security, and Ro as a custodian. One of the apprehended suspects confessed to leaving his daughter alone at home with the family dog while he met with a prostitute. Sheriff Judd humorously remarked, ‘We interviewed the dog, and the dog said woof. I guess that means “yes” in dog language.’ Among those arrested, 35 individuals are suspected of being in the country illegally, hailing from countries such as Cuba, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, or the Bahamas. Furthermore, 41 suspects claimed to be married, 13 were reported to receive government assistance, and 42 were found in possession of illegal drugs during the operation. In total, detectives have filed 44 felony charges and 242 misdemeanor charges as a result of this investigation. Sheriff Judd concluded, ‘This operation has not only resulted in more arrests than any previous operation, but it has also identified 21 human trafficking victims. In a similar operation conducted in February, 24 victims were identified. That’s a total of 45 victims identified this year. Our strong partnerships with social service organizations have enabled these women to receive assistance and break free from this way of life.’