ICE file photo
Feds rescued 69 children, some younger than 13 from child forced prostitution operation by Somali-run Human Trafficking Organization
November 10, 2010
Tampa, Florida (HNNUSA) - On Monday, members of the Clearwater Area Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents and officers in Tampa assisted the FBI locally to rescue four juveniles and arrest 35 adults over the past 72 hours during Operation Cross Country V, a three-day national enforcement action as part of the FBI's Innocence Lost National Initiative, announced ICE through a press release.
ICE says, the operation included enforcement actions in 40 cities throughout the nation and led to the recovery of 69 children who were being victimized through prostitution. Additionally, nearly 884 others, including 99 pimps, were arrested on state and local charges.
The four local children who were rescued resided in Hillsborough and Pinella counties. Other participating agencies in the operation included the Tampa Police Department, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Clearwater Police Department Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
To date, the FBI's 39 Innocence Lost Task Forces and Working Groups have recovered over 1,200 children from the streets. The investigations and subsequent 625 convictions have resulted in lengthy sentences, including multiple 25-years-to ife sentences and the seizure of more than $3.1 million in assets.
In Nashville, local, state and federal law enforcement officers in Nashville Tenn., Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., on Monday began arresting 29 individuals who were listed in a federal indictment which was unsealed listing various charges including sex trafficking juveniles and conspiring to sex traffic juveniles, obstruction of justice, perjury, auto theft and credit card fraud. The 24-count indictment was announced at a press conference in Nashville by Jerry E. Martin, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, and John Morton, Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The indictment results from an investigation that began in 2008 and alleges that the defendants are involved in or are associates of the following gangs which are connected to one another: the Somali Outlaws, the Somali Mafia, and the Lady Outlaws.
The indictment alleges that between 2000 and 2010, members and associates of the gangs transported underage Somali and African-American females from the Minneapolis area to Nashville for the purpose of having the females engage in sex acts for money and other items of value. The indictment alleges the defendants used some girls for sex trafficking who were 13 years old and younger. The indictment also alleges that an 18-year-old woman was sexually assaulted. Sex trafficking offenses carry a penalty of not less than 15 years to life in prison.
The indictment further charges that members and associates of the gangs conspired to obstruct the investigation and committed perjury during the course of testimony before the federal grand jury investigating the case. The indictment also alleges that members and associates of these gangs stole a motor vehicle and used it to engage in credit card fraud, which amounted to a $231,000 loss to one credit card company in about a one-year period.
Those charged in the indictment were Abdifitah Jama Adan, aka "Shorty," aka "Faleebo," aka "Kuzzo," 28;
Abdullahi Sade Afyare, aka "Forehead," 19;
Ahmad Abnulnasir Ahmad, aka "Fabulous," 23;
Yahya Jamal Ahmed, 23;
Abdikarim Osman Ali, aka "Homer," aka "Big Abdi," 22;
Musse Ahmed Ali, aka "Fat Boy," 23;
Hassan Ahmed Dahir, aka "Mohamed Ali Hussein," 21;
Fadumo Mohamed Farah, aka "Naana Naana," aka "Gangster Boo," aka "Barnie," 25;
Idris Ibrahim Fahra, aka "Chi Town," 22;
Yasin Ahmed Farah, 19;
Abdullahi Hashi, aka "Kamal," 24;
Fatah Haji Hashi, aka "Jerry," aka "Jr," 23;
Abdirahman Abdirazak Hersi, aka "Biggie," 20;
Muhiyadin Hassan Hussein, aka "CD," 22;
Dahir Nor Ibrahim, aka "Dahir Lucky," 38;
Abdifatah Bashir Jama, aka "Cash Money," aka "Ohio," 23;
Andrew Kayachith, aka "AK," 20;
Abdigadir Ahmed Khalif, aka "Awali," 24;
Bashir Yasin Mohamud, aka "Br," 26;
Mustafa Ahmed Mohamed, 22;
Fuad Faisal Nur, aka "Hanjule," 24;
Abdifatah Sharif Omar, aka "British," aka "Pinky," 25;
Liban Sharif Omar, aka "Sunderra," 21;
Mohamed Sharif Omar, aka "Moe D," aka "Mojo," 26;
Hamdi Ali Osman, aka "Big Hamdi," aka "Boss Lady," 22;
Haji Osman Salad, aka "Hollywood," 20;
Bibi Ahmed Said, 19;
Ahmed Aweys Sheik, aka "Rear Hammer," aka "Abdul," 24; and Yassin Abdirahman Yusuf, aka "Junior," aka "Black Cat Junior," 21.
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