Teen boys rescued from human traffickers in FloridaILTON, Fla. – Two teen boys were saved from human traffickers during a traffic stop in Santa Rosa County Wednesday afternoon, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement [FDLE] reported.
The boys, ages 17 and 14, are citizens of Guatemala who were recently smuggled into the country from Mexico into Texas, according to FDLE.
The investigation began when a Santa Rosa County deputy stopped a car for a moving violation on 1-10 and noticed indicators of human trafficking. The deputy contact FDLE to assist with the investigation.
Investigators believe the boys were trafficked to the US for forced labor. The victims said their families each paid more than $1,000 for them to be smuggled into the US.
The teens were told they had to work to pay off travel debt, FDLE reported. Agents believe the traffickers were taking the boys to different cities in South and Central Florida.
Agents arrested Frank Moreno, 39, Odessa, Texas, and Jackson Perez-Godinez, 21, Guatemala. Each are charged with two counts of human trafficking and two counts of human smuggling.
https://nbc-2.com/news/state/2021/01/01/teen-boys-rescued-from-human-traffickers-in-florida/
