MAGA influencer Craig Long, 44, has been arrested in Polk County as part of a human trafficking and child exploitation sting, which has resulted in 266 arrests.
Craig Long is one of 266 people taken into custody during a Polk County, Florida law-enforcement operation called ‘Polk Around & Find Out’.
Investigators said the effort focused on people attempting to exploit minors as well as those seeking to pay for sex. Authorities also alleged that two of the arrested men brought children to the illegal meet ups.
Long, who owns Craig Long Fitness in Tampa, drew additional attention in the wake of the arrests after sharing multiple online videos in which he praised Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and other law enforcement. The arrests were announced Friday (May 1).
Speaking at a press conference after the sting, Sheriff Judd showed photos of the 41-year-old posing with President Trump, Donald Trump Jr, and other prominent Republicans.
“He’s an influencer. He also owns Craig Long Fitness in Tampa. He was seeking the services of a prostitute,” Sheriff Judd stated.
The Sheriff’s Office said Long remained upbeat and continued expressing support for police even after being apprehended.
Haters RIP 🪦 #ufc327 🫡🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/sjEhAPzzxX
— Craiglong45 (@craiglong45) April 13, 2026
The county’s top lawman added: “Now, we’d like to see people who make mistakes early in life – and he had a long history – straightened up.
“We like the fact that he likes the cops. Heck, he liked them so much, he got caught up in a sting and got to be rubbing up and real close with the cops.”
Officials said the sweep extended well beyond Polk County.
According to authorities, suspects came from 18 countries and 11 US states.
The youngest person arrested was reported to be 18, while the oldest was 68.
Long has also been linked to the January 6 Capitol riot in 2021, an event that led to violence, multiple deaths, and hundreds of arrests.
Another individual tied to the Capitol riot, Ryan Yates, 40, was also arrested in connection with the same investigation.
Yates previously received a six month prison sentence related to the Capitol attack. He was later released from federal prison in January 2025 after President Trump issued blanket pardons on his first day back in office.
Both men are now expected to face charges of soliciting another for prostitution.
On X, Long describes himself as ‘MAGA to the core’. He has more than 500k followers on TikTok and around 80k subscribers on YouTube.
Officials involved in the operation said they identified seven potential human trafficking victims during the investigation.