Three adult women and two 16-year-old girls were rescued from human trafficking as Hillsborough County deputies wrapped up a two-month crackdown that ended with 116 arrests, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. The operation's central figure, 35-year-old Frank Amiekumo, was taken into custody at Tampa International Airport and now faces two life felony charges tied to allegations that he trafficked women and girls across Florida, Louisiana and Texas for roughly four years.
According to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, Amiekumo faces two counts of human trafficking of a minor, racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, lewd or lascivious battery, deriving proceeds from prostitution, forcing or coercing prostitution, witness tampering and evidence tampering. Investigators say he used physical violence and threats to control his victims, allegedly provided fake identification to underage girls, and recruited women to work at strip clubs before forcing some into commercial sex acts, per the sheriff's office. As reported by News4JAX, Amiekumo is a Liberian national and green card holder, and the investigation into him began in April after suspicious activity was reported near a Tampa residence. He is being held at the Orient Road Jail without bond.
How the Sting Unfolded Across Two Months
Dubbed Operation Relentless Summer, the initiative ran from June 8 through August 5 and combined the resources of HCSO's Human Trafficking Section, Internet Predator Squad and Sexual Predator Unit, according to the sheriff's office. Detectives used home search warrants, dark web investigations, undercover online chats, hotel and motel operations, traveling-to-meet-a-minor investigations and sex offender compliance checks to build cases against suspects.
Sheriff Chad Chronister did not mince words about what the operation uncovered. “This operation involved real children, real women and real victims who were bought, sold and abused,” he said. Chronister also issued a direct warning to would-be offenders: “We will find you, we will kick in your door and take you off our streets.”
Disturbing Evidence Found on Suspects' Phones
Detectives served a search warrant at a Tampa apartment on July 2 as part of the broader sweep. During the operation, investigators found a custom mobile game pulled from the dark web that was designed to teach players how to groom children for sexual abuse. On a separate cellphone, detectives recovered more than 100 child sexual abuse files, including images and videos involving teenagers and children younger than 5, as well as videos depicting sexual activity involving animals and a 15-year-old boy.
Among those arrested was Emmanuel Boamah, a 27-year-old Florida Department of Juvenile Justice detention officer who was taken into custody when he arrived to meet undercover investigators. He faces a charge of soliciting another to commit prostitution. Eric Perez-Perez, a 20-year-old man from Mexico, was also arrested; Chronister said he traveled to meet someone he thought he could pay to have sex with. Perez-Perez faces 100 counts of solicitation of possession of child sexual abuse material involving 10 or more images, 11 counts involving filming, distribution or possession of sexual activity with an animal, and charges of unlawful use of a two-way communication device, resisting an officer without violence, and obstruction of service or execution of a search warrant. He remains in custody.
Victims Connected to Support Services
The five victims rescued in Hillsborough County during the operation were connected with victim services through Selah Freedom and One More Child, according to the sheriff's office. Regionally, those nonprofits regularly partner with law enforcement to provide immediate advocacy, safe housing, mental health therapy and crisis intervention for trafficking survivors, according to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.
Chronister directed a message specifically at anyone who has been trapped in trafficking. “It's not your fault,” he said, urging victims to come forward and seek help. The sheriff's office believes there could be additional victims tied to the case who haven't yet come forward, and officials say the arrest count could still rise as outstanding warrants are served.
Statewide Backing and Statutory Stakes
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, whose office partnered with HCSO on the operation, said prosecutions involving crimes against children have increased substantially during his time as attorney general. Uthmeier took office in February 2025 after Governor Ron DeSantis appointed him to succeed Ashley Moody, who was tapped for the U.S. Senate, according to Ballotpedia. The Florida Office of Statewide Prosecution, which operates under the Attorney General's Office to handle crimes spanning multiple judicial circuits, maintains a near 100% conviction rate in human trafficking cases, according to My Florida Legal.
Under Florida Statute § 787.06, human trafficking involving a minor or commercial sexual exploitation is classified as a life felony, which is why Amiekumo faces up to three life sentences without parole eligibility, according to Florida's state statutes. Florida consistently ranks third in the nation for reported human trafficking cases and hotline contacts, trailing only California and Texas, per the Florida Department of Health.
Part of a Broader Enforcement Pattern
This is far from Hillsborough's first large-scale trafficking sweep. Earlier this year, a Halloween sting netted 171 arrests and rescued a 17-year-old victim, while a January-to-February undercover operation resulted in 89 arrests and more than 1,200 felony charges, according to WTSP. Department records released this month show HCSO's Human Trafficking Section has made 1,343 arrests since its 2021 creation, while the Internet Predator Unit and Sexual Predator Unit, both established in 2024, have logged 368 and 236 arrests respectively.
Anyone with information, or anyone who may have been victimized, is asked to contact HCSO detectives at 813-247-8200.
