Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced the results of a massive multi-agency sting operation that led to 266 arrests in Florida. The operation, which officials called Polk Around and Find Out, targeted human trafficking, prostitution, and child exploitation. During a press conference held on Friday, Sheriff Judd explained that 247 of these arrests were tied directly to human trafficking and prostitution, while 19 others involved child predators.
According to Fox News, the sheriff provided a detailed breakdown of the operation, noting that deputies had to contend with a significant number of repeat offenders. According to Judd, the suspects collectively had 1,028 previous charges on their records before the latest operation added 439 new charges to their lists. The individuals taken into custody originated from 11 different states and 18 different countries.
There are two notable arrests. The Sheriff highlighted MAGA follower and January 6th rioter Ryan Yates and Craig Long. Craig Long II is a 41-year-old fitness business owner from the Tampa area who identifies himself as a social media influencer.
Well, Sheriff Judd is out for blood, and I am here for it
Long describes himself as “MAGA to the core” on X. While discussing Long, Judd remarked, “Well, I’m going to give him some content for his social media today. He was a previous felon who straightened up, really, what we want to see in life. Now he’s an influencer.”
As for Yates, Judd noted that he had a prior conviction related to the January 6 Capitol riot and had been pardoned previously. Regarding this arrest, Judd said, “He got away with it with a federal system. But not here.” He added, “He came here to violate the law. We arrested him.”
Other cases involved individuals exploiting minors and illegal immigrants engaged in criminal activity. Sheriff Judd mentioned Uno Garcia, an illegal immigrant from Cuba, who allegedly brought his wife to engage in prostitution. Judd commented, “So, it’s kind of a family affair.”
Further, the sheriff pointed to J.R. Jackman, 27, an individual who reportedly held a high-level military security clearance. Judd stated, “Don’t you feel comfortable knowing a guy with top security clearance is coming to meet a prostitute?”
Another suspect, Salvador Villarel, was identified as a county utilities employee who allegedly arrived at the scene in a government vehicle. Judd remarked, “He doesn’t have the county truck. He doesn’t have the county job. But he does have the county jail.”
Authorities confirmed that 34 of the people arrested were in the United States illegally. The operation involved a mix of federal, state, and local agencies working together to target both the buyers and the facilitators within these networks.
Sheriff Judd emphasized the dangerous nature of these crimes during his announcement. He said, “People that think, ‘Oh, this is low-level and not violent’ — yeah, that’s wrong. It is violent, and it’s dangerous.” All cases resulting from the operation remain pending.
Sheriff Judd has always brought his dry and cutting humor to these dark cases as his team nabs trafficking rings. Every one of these rings is just as important to find and stop as the Epstein crimes.
Epstein’s case remains incredibly important not just for the scale, but for the powerful people wrapped up in it.
Published: May 4, 2026 04:16 am