FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Accused Sex Trafficker Rearrested In Online Recruiting Investigation

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Miami (October 13, 2023) Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and City of Miami Police Chief Manuel A. Morales announce the rearrest of 41-year-old Ruben Gonzalez after the completion of a second Human Trafficking investigation undertaken by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking Task Force. Task Force officers were notified by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office that a 2018 online undercover California investigation aimed at identifying potential human traffickers and predators, led back to a Miami source identifying himself online with the username of “handsome_and_wealthy_305.” Task Force officers were able to identify “handsome_and_wealthy_305 ” allegedly as Ruben Gonzalez, an individual presently facing Miami-Dade County Human Trafficking charges.

“The sheer boldness of human traffickers is so rarely visible to the public, but it is always felt by those children and adults who find themselves victimized by its demons of drug addiction, exploitation and brutality,” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “Traffickers tempt their targets with colorful promises of a life of money, sophisticated style and excitement. Instead, victims find themselves becoming simple money-making machines for those exploiting them. I applaud the work of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, our Human Trafficking Task Force, and the City of Miami Police in putting this investigation together.”

Ruben Gonzalez is now being additionally charged with:

• 1 count of Attempted Human Trafficking/Transporting a Minor from Outside the State to within the State for the Purpose of Commercial Sex Activity (First Degree Felony)
• 1 count of Attempted Human Trafficking Commercial Sex Activity/Victim Under 18 (Life Felony)

A Ventura County sheriff’s deputy posed online as a 17-year-old juvenile female, “Gina Felix”, who worked as a prostitute in that county at the direction of her California trafficker. Using numerous bits of information Gonzalez allegedly forwarded to “Gina Felix”, such as telephone numbers, “selfie photographs, selfie videos and subsequent verification via driver’s photograph and information, Ruben Gonzalez’ identity was established. Gonzalez held telephone conversations with an undercover female agent, solicitating “Gina Felix” to come to Miami and prostitute under his oversight.

On the phone call, he explained how he operated his business and outlined how much better her prostitution working conditions would be if she were with him in Miami, indicating that “Gina” would not have to work the “track” (soliciting prostitution customers while out on the streets) or have “car dates” (sexual contact inside cars). After receiving “Gina’s” agreement, a one-way Greyhound bus ticket from San Fernando, California to Miami was sent to “Gina Felix” using a credit card allegedly traceable back to Gonzalez.

Ruben Gonzalez is being held with no bond.

State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle created the SAO Human Trafficking Unit in 2012. Since then, the unit along with the SAO Human Trafficking Task Force have successfully filed over 837 Human Trafficking related cases and touched the lives of over 1138 victims. Of these 61% are local and 39% are non-local. For more information on the SAO’s Human Trafficking efforts, please visit www.miamisao.com/humantrafficking.
To report Human Trafficking, call the SAO Human Trafficking Hotline at:

305-FIX-STOP

(305-349-7867)

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For further information, please contact Ed Griffith, Public Information Officer, at (305) 547-0535 or EdGriffith@MiamiSAO.com