Attorney General Ashley Moody announces rescue of 10 human trafficking victims

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida’s Attorney General Ashley Moody announced a multiagency operation to dismantle a human trafficking ring in the Tampa Bay area at a news conference Thursday.

At the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Tampa Bay Regional Operations Center, Moody highlighted an operation that began with a search warrant executed by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 2023. This led to the arrest of Lina Payne, which 8 On Your Side reported on in early June.

Moody said the Florida Human Trafficking Strike Team is assisting local law enforcement with more than 20 human trafficking cases and making contact with nearly 40 victims, including 10 victims at the center of the Payne investigation.

Payne is accused of running several human trafficking operations using massage parlors and barbershops in Hillsborough and Manatee counties.

Moody said Payne recruited women from Columbia and Venezuela, promising them work in the U.S., and then held them hostage and forced them into prostitution to pay off travel debts, which were between $40,000 and $50,000.

Payne allegedly threatened the women with violence if they refused to do sex work.

In total, the investigation looked at four properties: Jackpot Massage in Sarasota, Latin Relaxation in Bradenton, and Bare All Body Waxing and Expose Barbershop in Tampa, all owned by Payne.

“It’s disgusting in my opinion. There’s a lot of quiet little places like that, that go unseen for years,” Timothy Guerrieri, a business owner whose property was right across from Expose Barbershop told 8 On Your Side. “It’s always been that same massage parlor, salon. Does it surprise me? No, it doesn’t surprise me at all, there’s a lot of shenanigans going on in that building, it’s open all hours of the night.”

The investigation also led to the arrest of Sebastian Jurado, Payne’s boyfriend, and Andres Payne, Payne’s son, along with Santiago Moreno and Karen McGlynn. Moody said Sandra Garavito is currently wanted concerning the investigation.

Moody took shots at President Biden, saying the policies enacted under the current administration have made it easier for criminal organizations to bolster human trafficking activities in the states.

“Biden’s border crisis is emboldening transnational criminal organizations, and as a result, we are seeing horrific human trafficking cases right here in Florida,” Moody claimed. “Until Biden does his job and closes the border, we must continue to develop new methods to deal with international crime rings that exploit Biden’s reckless agenda to perpetuate crime in Florida.”

President Biden announced last week plans to shut down the U.S./Mexico border and bar migrants who cross illegally from seeking asylum.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Commissioner Mark Glass called human trafficking “modern-day slavery,” promising the FDLE will come after “slave traders” to “combat these evil acts coming to our neighborhoods.”

Moody was also joined by FDLE Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, Hillsborough County Colonel Chris Rule, Manatee Sheriff’s Office Major Todd Shears and Homeland Security Investigations Tampa Special Agent in Charge John Condon.

You can watch the news conference in the video player above.

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