22 Men Arrested During 3-Month Sex Trafficking Sting

HILLSBORO, OR — The Washington County Sheriff's Office and its law enforcement partners arrested 22 men who'd attempted to solicit another person for sex during two separate operations over the past three months.

Working alongside the Portland Police Bureau's Sex Trafficking Unit, the Forest Grove Police Department, and the Washington County District Attorney's Office, county detectives intended to "break a link in the chain of human trafficking" by enforcing state and federal law as well as learning more about the individuals providing sex services, according to sheriff's spokesman Jeff Talbot.

All but two of the men are from Oregon, with the majority coming from the Portland metro area. The oldest man arrested is a 73-year-old from Cornelius; the youngest is a 19-year-old from Forest Grove.

The operations, held in September and November, captured the following individuals:

(Each person was charged with commercial sexual solicitation unless otherwise noted.)

• Majid Latif Abdulla, 36, of Beaverton;
• Nicholas Ross Arntsen, 21, of Portland;
• Roy Paguyo Carino, 51, of Beaverton;
• Javies Chavez, 24, of Cornelius;
• Jesus Cruz-Arreguin, 33, of Gervais — also charged with third degree theft;
• Richard Derby, 19, of Forest Grove;
• Lazaro Echevarria-Martinez, 46, of Forest Grove;
• Pedro Escalona-Varela, 31, of Beaverton;
• Rigoberto Figueroa-Gutierrez, 35; of Tualatin
• Shubham Gilda, 32, of Hillsboro;
• Abhishek Kumar, 31, of Hillsboro;
• Galo Mauricio Legarda, 39, of Gladstone;
• Joseph Tyler Martinez, 24, of Aurora;
• John W. Miller, 44, of Seabec, Washington;
• Domenico A. Opiela, 46, of Deerfield Beach, Florida;
• John M. Pearson, 73, of Cornelius;
• Daniel Nicholas Radtke, 39, of Beaverton;
• Isagani C. Rausa, 33, of Tigard;
• Rene Rodriguez-Abarca, 37, of Forest Grove;
• Gaspar Silva-Zavala, 43, of Beaverton;
• Apurva H. Thakkar, 27, of Salem.

"Human trafficking is a terrible reality in our community," Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett said in a statement. "Joined by our wonderful public safety partners, we are committed to continue interdiction efforts to rescue victims and hold accountable all those who perpetuate these crimes."

Image: 3839153 via Pixabay.com