MAGA Influencer Arrested in ‘Human Trafficking Sting’ Weeks After Posing With Trump

The Polk County Sheriff's Office has arrested 266 individuals in connection with prostitution and human trafficking crimes, and one of them is a MAGA influencer. Craig Long, 41, known for his pro-Trump social media posts, was taken into custody for soliciting a prostitute.

The arrests were made as part of an undercover operation named "Polk Around and Find Out". Out of the 266 individuals detained, 247 were accused of prostitution, while 19 were arrested for allegedly soliciting s– from minors.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd spoke about the operation during a press conference on May 1, particularly highlighting Long. The sheriff revealed that the influencer had previously been charged with a felony. However, that did not stop him from gaining a huge social media following.

About three weeks before the arrest, Long posted a picture with President Donald Trump and his son after attending a UFC event. Judd displayed the picture during the press conference and said, “Well, I'm gonna give him some content for social media.”

“He was a previous felon who straightened up — really, what we wanna see in life. Now he's an influencer. He moves in big circles, even with the president. We like the fact that he likes the cops. Heck, he liked them so much, he got caught up in a sting and got to be ripping up and real close with the cops,” Judd added.

The sheriff further criticized Long, saying, “He appreciates law enforcement. Well, there you go, you got arrested in the human trafficking sting. Influence that for a while.” Judd also revealed that Long was soliciting prostitution even though he is married.

Apart from supporting MAGA on social media, Long owns a fitness company in Tampa. He currently has over 500,000 followers on Tiktok, around 84 subscribers on YouTube and more than 10, 000 followers on X.

Also, Long is not the only Trump supporter arrested as part of Operation "Polk Around and Find Out". Ryan Yates, 40, a convicted January 6 Capitol rioter, was also charged with soliciting prostitution. The 40-year-old was allegedly caught on camera removing his pants while meeting an undercover agent.

Yates pleaded guilty to participating in the Capitol riots in February 2024 and was sentenced to six months in prison and two years of supervised release. However, at the start of his second term in January 2025, Trump pardoned individuals charged in connection with the riot.

During the media briefing, Judd said that Yates would not receive a pardon this time. “Well, we're not giving him a blanket pardon. He got away with it in the federal system, but not here. He came here to violate the law. We arrested him... he didn't resist us like he did the Capitol Police. He knew better,” the sheriff said.

Under the operation, investigators identified seven possible human trafficking victims. Several law enforcement agencies assisted the Polk County Sheriff's Office in the operation, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and various sheriff's officers across Florida.