MIAMI. – The Miami-Dade Prosecutor’s Office reported on an undercover deployment carried out between April 22 and 23 in the city, within the framework of the operation called Wrong Turn, which revealed repeated and worrying behavior: adults who, despite being warned that they were dealing with minors, continued to negotiate sexual encounters in exchange for money, according to the official investigation. The intervention concluded with 15 detainees, now prosecuted for crimes linked to human trafficking and illicit use of digital platforms.
The action was coordinated by State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and executed together with the Chief of the Miami Police, Manuel “Manny” A. Morales, as part of a strategy that combines digital intelligence, infiltration and tactical response to anticipate this type of behavior.
As detailed by the authorities, the case did not start from identified victims, but from a controlled environment. Undercover agents posted advertisements on the Internet and contacted interested users. During these exchanges, they were explicitly informed that the alleged young women were minors. Even so, several continued the process, agreed on payments and set meeting points.
The scheme advanced until the key moment: the arrival of those involved at the agreed site. There, always according to the public officials’ version, they gave the money to an agent who pretended to be an intermediary. Later, when they were directed to the supposed place where the minors were, operational units intervened and carried out the arrests without incident.
The charges include human trafficking, misuse of computer services and travel with the intention of meeting a minor. All remain in custody without bail while the judicial process continues.
The detainees were identified as Carlos Adrian Flores Rojas, Creshawn Lewis Starks, Edgardo Arturo Donaire, Frank Lopez de la Rosa, Jacinto Brito Raymundo, Jonathan Testa, Jony Zele Donrizo, Josue Castanon, Kalaivanan Murugan, KG, Mandy Gonzalez, Marvin Torres, Miles Simyon, Osinel Gonzalez Rodriguez and Roberto Guido Rojas
“These arrests should send a clear message to anyone who tries to take advantage of our minors,” said Fernandez Rundle, who stressed the value of coordination between agencies to confront these types of crimes.
The deployment involved multiple institutions, including the City of Miami Police Department (MPD), units specialized in crimes against minors on the internet, as well as police agencies from Homestead, Hialeah, Coral Gables and Medley. The Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) also participated.
Sources linked to the case indicated that one of those arrested is also listed as a person of interest in an independent investigation related to child sexual abuse material, which could expand the scope of the accusations.
This type of operation usually intensifies in contexts of high concentration of visitors. However, beyond the calendar of major events, what the findings reflect is sustained behavior: the use of digital channels to establish contact and the willingness of some individuals to ignore explicit warnings.
The challenge, researchers and prosecutors agree, is not only to react, but to anticipate practices that continue to find space in the digital environment. To this end, we insist on the importance of citizen reporting as a key tool to detect and stop these crimes.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office’s anti-human trafficking tip line remains active 24 hours a day. Those with information can contact 305-349-7867 or 305-FIX-STOP.
