A Florida sex-trafficking sting operation led to the arrest of over 200 people, including more than two dozen illegal migrants who had not even been on the federal radar.

The Polk County operation, named “Fool Around and Find Out,” saw 255 suspected human traffickers, child sex predators, and migrants in the U.S. illegally arrested, the highest number of apprehensions in one operation by the sheriff’s office, Fox News reported.

“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,” Sheriff Grady Judd told Fox News Digital.

The nine-day, multi-level operation included coordinating efforts by several law enforcement entities and embedding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the first time with the Central Florida department.

“One of the most startling revelations from the operation was 36 illegal migrants apprehended. Judd said 26 of them had not checked in with federal authorities, making them untraceable until this operation,” Fox News reported. “The migrants arrested account for approximately 15% of the total, and Judd argued that their absence could have prevented that same amount of crime.”

Judd said the 26 illegals arrested “were not even on the federal government’s radar.”

“They had snuck in the country and did not check in,” the sheriff added. “If those illegal immigrants weren’t here in this country, then there would have been 15% less crime committed.”

Those arrested seemed to cover a broad range of people as well.

“Among those arrested were a medical doctor, an executive from the American Red Cross, active and retired military personnel, and even a former NFL player, Adarius Taylor. Prior to retirement in 2020, Taylor played for the Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns,” Fox News noted. “Judd recounted that the ex-NFL player left his young, medically vulnerable child alone in a car while he allegedly sought sexual favors from an undercover officer posing as a prostitute.”

#ICYMI we had Spotlight on America embedded with us during our “Fool Around and Find Out” undercover investigation, and here’s the story they produced – we think it turned out great! @SOAInvestigates @angiemoreschi https://t.co/a4MjiXSdjb

— Polk County Sheriff 🚔 Grady Judd (@PolkCoSheriff) May 21, 2025

“Detectives charged a total of 102 felonies and 284 misdemeanors during the investigation. The suspects’ prior criminal histories included a combined total of 400 felonies and 519 misdemeanors, with charges such as premeditated murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated battery and sexual assault,” the outlet reported.

“The online prostitution industry enables traffickers and allows for the continued victimization of those who are being trafficked,” the sheriff said in a news release.  “Our goal is to identify victims, offer them help, and arrest those who are fueling the exploitation of human beings (Johns) and those profiting from the exploitation of human beings. Prostitution is not a victimless crime – it results in exploitation, disease, drug and alcohol addiction, violence, and broken families.”

“Florida is the vacation state. People come from all around the world with their children,” Judd 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 added. “I’ll put you on blast all across the nation, and that’s a guarantee.”