Girl trafficked from Mexico forced to pick berries to pay debt, deputies say

Lake County man faces charges

LEESBURG, Fla. – A teenage girl said a man who helped bring her into the country illegally from Mexico was forcing her to pick blueberries to pay off her debt, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement contacted deputies on Tuesday to request a well-being check for a girl living in Leesburg. The girl told deputies she came to the U.S. about a year ago by crossing the border from Mexico into Arizona.

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She said she owed Carlos Garcia-Diaz money, because he helped smuggle her into the country, and he was forcing her to pick blueberries to pay off that debt, a news release said.

Deputies said Garcia-Diaz admitted that the teen owed him money but denied forcing her to work.

Garcia-Diaz was charged with human trafficking of a child under 18. The girl was taken to the Department of Children and Families. The Department of Homeland Security is also involved in the case.


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