Eight people were arrested over two days in Medina County, Texas, as part of an undercover operation targeting prostitution and online solicitation, with one suspect accused of trying to meet up with someone he believed was a girl under the age of 14. Sheriff's officials say four potential trafficking victims were also identified during the sting, though the identity of one remained pending as of the operation's conclusion.
The operation, dubbed Rolling Thunder, ran for two days and wrapped up on September 24, according to Fox San Antonio. Seven men were arrested on accusations of solicitation of prostitution, while a 31-year-old man, identified as Michael Wayne Carr, was arrested on a charge of online solicitation of a minor under 14. Medina County Sheriff Randy Brown said the operation had filled its stringer over the previous two days, per the station's report.
Per the same account, Carr allegedly communicated online with someone he believed to be an underage girl and then showed up expecting a sexual encounter with her, according to Sheriff Brown. He remained in custody on a $25,000 bond as of the report. Under Texas Penal Code § 33.021, online solicitation of a minor is typically a third-degree felony carrying two to 10 years in prison, but the charge escalates to a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison when the target is believed to be under 14, according to The Law Offices of Jed Silverman. The statute applies regardless of whether the person contacted was an actual minor or an undercover officer posing as one.
Nine More Cases Still Pending
The sheriff's office reported that nine additional online solicitation of a minor cases remain pending beyond Carr's arrest, the article notes. Investigators also said they identified 109 people through online conversations who did not meet the threshold for a prostitution solicitation charge. Those numbers suggest the two-day operation cast a wide net well beyond the eight people ultimately booked.
The seven men arrested on solicitation of prostitution accusations were identified as 25-year-old Ethan Lopez, 30-year-old Brandon Tyler Lathan, 52-year-old Anthony Clay Willis, 22-year-old Edwin Torris, 27-year-old Barwa Asi Hakem, 64-year-old Kenneth David Duvall, and 53-year-old Damian Renard Abbott. Willis and Duvall each also faced accusations of unlawfully carrying a weapon, with Duvall alone facing four separate weapon charges, per the outlet. All seven posted bond and were released by September 25.
Texas's Toughened Solicitation Law
Every one of those seven arrests carries felony weight because of a 2021 change in Texas law. Under House Bill 1540, Texas classified first-offense solicitation of prostitution as a state jail felony under Texas Penal Code § 43.021, carrying penalties of 180 days to two years in state jail and fines up to $10,000, according to The Crowder Law Firm. Before that 2021 change, a first offense was only a Class B misdemeanor. A conviction for online solicitation of a minor also requires sex-offender registration under Chapter 62 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, per The Sims Law Firm.
Part of a Recurring Regional Push
In May, the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office ran Operation Rolling Thunder III with support from the Medina County Sheriff's Office, Texas DPS, and federal agencies, rescuing 12 adult victims and arresting six men for soliciting prostitution, according to Seguin Today.
Military investigative agencies, including Air Force OSI and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, joined Texas sheriffs during the Guadalupe County operation, according to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Medina County itself, home to an estimated 56,881 residents as of 2025 with Hondo as its county seat, sits just west of San Antonio, according to World Population Review.
Open questions remain in Medina County over the pending status of the four identified potential trafficking victims and whether the nine outstanding online solicitation cases will yield further arrests.
