TAMPA, Florida — An 11-month-old infant was rescued following a human trafficking investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
The investigation, which began in October 2025, was a collaborative effort between the FDLE, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Brazilian Federal Police. The operation targeted individuals producing and selling child sexual abuse material (CSAM). During the investigation, a social networking account offered a baby for sexual purposes, leading agents to identify the suspect as 29-year-old Huilzivan Alves da Costa, of Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Agents arranged for the transport of the baby to Tampa from Brazil, but Alves da Costa backed out of the planned meeting on March 25, 2026. Despite this setback, FDLE agents continued working with HSI to locate the child and identify Alves da Costa. HSI then collaborated with the Brazilian Federal Police, who successfully located the suspect…