Human Trafficking Operation Leads to Eight Arrests in Lee County

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation launched an undercover operation in Lee County, which resulted in the arrest of eight individuals and the identification of seven human trafficking victims.

The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol, Tupelo Police Department, National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, Booneville Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Restore Corps Memphis, Center for Violence Prevention, and the Office of the Mississippi Attorney General assisted in the operation, which resulted in the arrests of the following individuals:

• Dewayne K. Davis, 51, was charged with child exploitation.
• Noe Andres Muz, 34, was charged with child exploitation.
• Keelan Jerome Smithy, 30, was charged with child exploitation.
• Willis Dewayne Traylor, 40, was charged with two counts of possession of methamphetamines and cocaine.
• Bobby Wade Green, 54, was charged with promoting prostitution.
• Keenan Hardy, 32, had three felony warrants for domestic violence out of Illinois and was arrested for extradition.

Two more were charged with promoting prostitution, and their names will be released upon arrest.

“Human trafficking has no place in Mississippi. And traffickers need to know that our women and children are off-limits,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “I am grateful for dedicated law enforcement officers, like those at the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, for their continued partnership in protecting the vulnerable.

“And our work doesn’t end when the operation ends,” Fitch said. “We must support and empower victims to move forward without shame or blame. Our efforts will always be victim-first as we connect recovered individuals with the tools and resources they need to build a new life with hope and dignity.”

If you suspect someone is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.