CSECArchive 2008–2016

CSEC in Fort Pierce, Florida (1997)

A CSEC case from 1997 in Fort Pierce, Florida, United States.

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Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). We don’t have a verifiable source on file yet. Know one?

What happened

Juan Luis Cadena-Sosa, 43 from Mexico. Also being convicted is Procopio Lopez-Contreras, 47. Also said to be aided by other members of the Cadena-Sosa family. Juan Luis has been convicted of invonluntary servitude and conspiracy to recruit, harbor, and transport known illegal aliens for prostitution. He is being sentenced in August, 2008 with a max of 15 years possible.

Response and intervention

The FBI raided the brothels taking in 16 different suspects. There was an FBI raid in the fall of 1997 at two locations known to be brothels run by the men. There was no report on what happened to the women and children after the raid.

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Forced Labor1997

Fort Pierce, Florida, United States, 1997

United States US

Michael Allen Lee, an African-American labor contractor, was the leader of the "Lee Operation." Lee and his conspirators, William Oscar Smith, and Billy C. Rankin recruited homeless and drug dependent African-American men from around Fort Pierce, Florida, as agricultural farm workers. In exchange for picking oranges, the workers were given loans extended by Lee, for rent, food, cigarettes, and crack cocaine. The workers were paid only about thirty-five to fifty dollars a week, thirty of which went to Lee for their rented space on his floor. After incurring debts that they were unable to repay, the workers became indebted to Lee. Along with their indebtedness, Lee used force and the threat of force to keep the men working for him against their will.

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016

Forced Labor2022

West Palm Beach, Florida, United States, 2022

United States

Farm labor contractor ran criminal enterprise compelling Mexican H-2A workers into forced labor across five states Accused: Owner of farm labor contracting company.

1 source

Forced Labor2017

West Palm Beach, Florida, United States, 2017

United States US

A Cuban man living in Palm Beach County smuggled three Cuban women into the US through Mexico in 2016 and 2017, then forced them to work in Palm Beach County strip clubs to pay smuggling debts of more than $10,000 to $26,000. He beat the women and threatened them and their families.

1 source