Arizona’s smallest landbase tribe was lately home to a joint human trafficking operation carried out by the state Attorney General’s Office in tandem with local, federal and tribal law enforcement partners.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations under ICE, Gila County Attorney’s Office as well as Apache Junction and Globe police aided the Tonto Apache Police Department with the investigation that took place on its 375-acre reservation.
This undertaking was at least four months in the making — relying on an underage decoy to lure adults who sought to sexually exploit minors. It happened during the annual Payson Pro Rodeo weekend at the Mazatzal Casino in late August.
It was Tonto Apache Police Chief Hilario Tanakeyowma’s idea to use the 40-room hotel as the recent sting’s setting. The chief, who is Hopi and sits on the statewide MMIP task force under the helm of Gov. Katie Hobbs, explained that the tiny tribe in size sought to take a huge stand against human trafficking.
“They’re trying to do their part, very supportive of this,” Tanakeyowma told KJZZ. “Even though this is a small, nonviolent tribe — they still want to be proactive. That’s when we decided to take on the responsibility.”
Tanakeyowma estimates half a million vehicles annually trek through the town along the Beeline Highway — a rural corridor conducive for human traffickers who could prey upon Payson and the neighboring Tonto Apaches.
The tribe touts about 110 enrolled members.
“It does get concerning,” he added. “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.’”
At least four unnamed individuals were apprehended.
Within the last two decades, the nonprofit National Human Trafficking Hotline has identified almost 2,700 cases involving roughly 5,700 victims throughout the Grand Canyon State alone.
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