FORT MYERS, Fla — After a major raid in Martin County last week, officials are reminding Southwest Florida communities about the signs of human trafficking.
Among the notable names arrested for soliciting prostitution; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
"Our investigations, we’ve locked up millionaires and bums. It goes from one end of the spectrum to the other,” said retired police chief Walt Zalisko.
He worked vice detail in the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area for several years.
Southwest Florida is no stranger to these kinds of crimes. 7 people were arrested in Naples as part of a statewide sting in the spring of 2017.
Authorities said at the time they were trying to determine if some of the women working at those massage parlors were victims of human trafficking.
“Frequently cases are not prosecuted as trafficking because it’s hard to prove them, and it’s easier to prove that something else happened,” said Nola Theiss, Director of the Human Trafficking Awareness Partnership of Ft. Myers.
The organization was one of the first formed in Southwest Florida to deal with human trafficking.
“It brings in the 3rd highest amount of money, behind any illicit trade, only behind drugs and guns,” said Theiss.
Zalisko says human traffickers often “brand” their victims with a tattoo on the back of their neck that resembles a bar code.
