The Southwest Florida Inter-Agency Child Exploitation and Persons Trafficking Task Force known as INTERCEPT announces the results of a two-year long investigation, called Operation Red Light, involving prostitution occurring at brothels operating in Lee County. This is the longest, most complex, investigation ever done by INTERCEPT.
During the last 36 hours, eight search warrants were simultaneously executed on four residential locations and four businesses resulting in the arrest of the ten individuals shown below.
Those arrested face charges which include RICO Conspiracy, Deriving Proceeds from Prostitution, Maintaining a Place for Prostitution, Money Laundering, and Use of a Two-Way Communications Device to Facilitate a Felony. The defendants were advertising sexual services online and running brothels out of storefronts in Fort Myers and Cape Coral.
“The brothels were hidden in plain sight, in areas among other businesses but with no signage. One brothel was just feet away from a daycare in Fort Myers,” said State Attorney Amira Fox.
“The INTERCEPT Task Force is a multi-agency partnership which makes these large-scale investigations possible. INTERCEPT stops criminal enterprises like this. The houses of prostitution these people were involved in are now shut down and are no longer operating in Southwest Florida. This remains a very active investigation,” said State Attorney Fox.
The INTERCEPT partner agencies that participated in this operation include: Homeland Security Investigations, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), U.S. Marshals Service, State Attorney’s Office 20th Judicial Circuit, Fort Myers Police Department, Cape Coral Police Department, Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Hendry County Sheriff’s Office; Naples Police Department; Marco Island Police Department; Lee County Port Authority Police; CBP’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO); U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO); and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Samantha Syoen – State Attorney’s Office Communications Director