Men arrested in Florida for allegedly trafficking children

FLORIDA (KGNS) - A Florida traffic stop landed two men in jail for allegedly trafficking children.

Investigators say a traffic stop on I-10 led to the arrest of these men, Frank Leija Moreno and Jackson Perez-Godinez.

Deputies say when they pulled this car over, the suspects were in the front seat and two teenage boys were in the back.

The Sheriff’s Office said the group got nervous and their stories didn’t add up. They soon learned the boys were from Guatemala and smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico for forced labor.

”I mean, getting drugs off is one thing, getting drugs off the street,” said Bob Johnson, Florida sheriff. “That’s one thing. But getting these guys off the street is, is really big because this is what they do for a living. They take advantage of kids.”

Authorities say the boy’s families paid more than $1,000 each to send them to the U.S.

Agents say the boys were told they would have to work off additional travel expenses. The Sheriff’s Office says Moreno is a sex offender from Texas and Perez-Godinez is from Guatemala and illegally in the country.

Agents say the men were taking the boys to different cities in central and south Florida.

The two men were charged with human trafficking and taken to jail.

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