Two men arrested in Broward in a nationwide human trafficking operation, deputies say

Two men have been arrested as part of a multi-day initiative organized by the Broward Sheriff’s Office to combat human trafficking.

BSO dubbed it “Operation Suite 16,” and it’s part of a broader nationwide effort called the Coast to Coast Operation.

On August 22, Deavion McClendon was cuffed in Dania Beach after BSO spokesperson Miranda Grossman said they busted the 21-year-old while he was dropping off a trafficking victim at a hotel.

Realizing detectives were in pursuit, he then hopped back in his car and attempted to flee, striking multiple patrol vehicles, before being detained. She said investigators also found that he also had an active felony warrant for auto theft at the time of his arrest.

McClendon faces multiple charges including aggravated battery on law enforcement and fleeing and eluding. Though detectives suspect he was involved in human trafficking, he has not been formally charged with trafficking-related offenses, according to Broward County court records.

McClendon currently being held in Broward County’s Main Jail on a $15,000 bond.

The operation also concluded a long-term investigation into 38-year-old Randall Taylor. Investigators allege Taylor targeted vulnerable women and teens, coercing them into sex work, selling drugs, and committing fraud by exploiting their drug addictions. The victims lived in poor conditions and gave him their earnings, according to Grossman.

Taylor faces several charges, including sex and labor trafficking, human trafficking of a minor, and aggravated manslaughter related to a 16-year-old girl’s overdose in 2019.

It is unclear how investigators were able to link Taylor to the aforementioned crimes. BSO said no further details can be released at this time as the probe continues.

He is currently in federal custody, serving a five-year sentence for unrelated crimes. Once his federal sentence is completed, he will be brought to Broward County to face the new charges.

Taylor’s federal sentence stemmed from his role in the “Felony Lane Gang” fraud scheme, active from 2019 to 2020. He and his co-conspirators traveled nationwide, breaking into cars, mainly targeting women in public spaces. They stole debit cards, credit cards, checkbooks, and IDs to commit bank fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York.

Taylor admitted to stealing between $40,000 and $95,000 in the conspiracy. He pled guilty and is serving his sentence at FCI Coleman Medium in Florida, with a release date of December 31, 2024, according to a Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate search.

As for the human smugggling operation, 14 adult victims were contacted and offered services such as food, lodging, medical services, drug rehabilitation, counseling, childcare, education, and employment assistance, according to BSO.

BSO stated that they have several leads on additional suspects and anticipate more arrests and charges in the future.

If you suspect human trafficking in your community, BSO encourages you to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888, text “HELP” or “INFO” to 233733 or call the BSO non-emergency number at 954-764-4357 (HELP).To learn more about what human trafficking is, please visit the National Human Trafficking Hotline page at https://humantraffickinghotline.org/ .