Law enforcement agencies executed a joint human trafficking operation targeting the sexual exploitation of minors at the Mazatzal Casino in Payson, Arizona, on August 21 and August 22, according to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. The four-month undercover investigation utilized an underage decoy to identify adults seeking to exploit minors during the annual Payson Pro Rodeo weekend.
Undercover Sting Unfolds on Tonto Apache Nation Land
The operation took place on the 375-acre reservation of the Tonto Apache Nation, recognized as Arizona’s smallest landbase tribe with approximately 110 enrolled members. Tonto Apache Police Chief Hilario Tanakeyowma proposed using the tribe’s 40-room hotel as the site for the sting.
The Tonto Apache Police Department led the coordination alongside the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations under Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Additional support came from the Apache Junction Police Department, the Globe Police Department, and the Gila County Attorney’s Office.
Vulnerability Along the Beeline Highway Corridor
Chief Tanakeyowma, who is Hopi and serves on the statewide MMIP task force under the helm of Gov. Katie Hobbs, stated that roughly half a million vehicles travel annually along the Beeline Highway through the town. Law enforcement identified this rural corridor as a vulnerable route for traffickers.
“It does get concerning,” Tanakeyowma said, according to KJZZ. “And I want to make sure that they’re protected, and this is one way of trying to say, ‘Hey, look, you can come up to Rim Country and have fun, but not that kind of fun.’”
Multiple Arrests Follow Two-Day Casino Sweep
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced that the sweep resulted in significant interventions, multiple arrests, and the disruption of attempts to sexually exploit children. At least four unnamed individuals were apprehended during the two-day operation at the casino. Authorities have not yet released the identities of the suspects or the specific criminal charges filed against them.
Nonprofit data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline indicates that nearly 2,700 cases involving approximately 5,700 victims have been identified across Arizona over the past two decades.
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