Florida Sting Nets 281 Arrests, Including 17 Theme-Park Employees

Overview

• The seven-day undercover probe concluded on Oct. 30, 2026, and resulted in 281 arrests and 488 new charges, roughly 198 of which law enforcement described as felonies.
• Investigators ran two simultaneous stings: one that targeted adults who traveled to meet what they thought were minors and another that focused on human trafficking networks.
• Seventeen park workers were arrested — 13 from Walt Disney World and four from Universal — and seven of those employees were identified as alleged child sexual predators; both companies cooperated and dismissed the implicated staff.
• The arrested group was geographically mixed: only 40 lived in Polk County while others came from across Florida, 20 other U.S. states and multiple countries; 32 detainees were undocumented and at least 16 were sent to ICE custody.
• Officers seized firearms from 24 suspects and found additional crimes such as probation violations, drug or prostitution charges, and other offenses, and prosecutors say criminal cases and possible federal follow-ups are now pending.