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7 men in custody in Garfield County following multi-agency anti-human trafficking operation, deputies say

Most of these arrests were part of an anti-human trafficking sting, but others were caught by police during "fugitive location operations"
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Posted at 1:42 PM, Mar 11, 2024
and last updated 2024-03-11 19:15:47-04

DENVER — Several men were taken into custody last week in a multi-agency anti-human trafficking operation in Garfield County, according to Sheriff Lou Vallario.

The arrests were the result of an effort from the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office in partnership with several agencies, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, (CBI), Glenwood Springs Police Department, Rifle Police Department, Basalt Police Department, the 9th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the United States Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Garfield County Special Problem Enforcement and Response, (SPEAR) Team, according to a Monday news release.

In all, seven suspects were taken into custody for a series of sex-related crimes against children: 30-year-old Yoalmo Villacorta-Lovo, of Glenwood Springs; 47-year-old Jose Canas Guandique, of Carbondale; 27-year-old Adonis Felipe Nino, of Glenwood Springs; 22-year-old Anderson Abarca-Garcia, of Parachute; 25-year-old Oscar Peraza Romero, of Glenwood Springs; 33-year-old Exsequiel Peralta-Meza, of Rifle; 33-year-old Jose Jimenz-Bautista, of Glenwood Springs.

Charges against those suspects range from internet luring of a child, soliciting for child prostitution, patronizing a prostituted child, and sexual assault against a child.

Three other suspects — 44-year-old James Fitzpatrick Peitler, of Glenwood Springs; 39-year-old Justin Zane Raulerson, of Parachute; and 30-year-old Milton Ferdyn Duarte-Garcia of Glenwood Springs and Carbondale — were taken into custody following “fugitive location operations,” according to the news release.

Charges in those three cases range from abuse of public records, harassment and bias-motivated crimes, as well as vehicular homicide, false reporting, careless driving resulting in death and driving with a suspended license due to an alcohol-related offense.

“In addition to the subjects arrested approximately 4.8 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 2,000 Fentanyl pills were seized. Many of these cases are still under investigation and further charges may result from respective investigations,” deputies said in the news release.

7 men in custody in Garfield County multi-agency anti-human trafficking sting


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