Law enforcement reportedly arrested 39 people in a week-long sex trafficking sting in California, taking several suspected sex traffickers into custody.
The sting was part of the state’s 10th annual Operation Reclaim and Rebuild, ABC 7 reported.
Police arrested 40 suspected “sex traffickers or exploiters” and 271 suspected “sex buyers,” according to the outlet.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said 54 adults and 11 children, including a 14-year-old girl, were rescued.
More than 500 arrested, dozens rescued in statewide human trafficking operation
— K (@Kayla_M_Roth) January 31, 2024
Fifty-four adults and 11 children were rescued, including a 14-year-old girl, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said.https://t.co/7xPP3aKHmJ
“Human trafficking and child exploitation are devastating crimes that prey on some of the most vulnerable members of our community,” Luna said.
State and local agencies participating in the anti-human trafficking mission included personnel from the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force.
It is not yet known how many arrests were made in Los Angeles County.
One Los Angeles County operation arrested 12 male suspects, including two registered sex offenders, on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution.
The Daily Caller reported:
“Task force personnel administered a secret “sex buyer” operation on Holt Avenue in Pomona, which led to the arrests.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said that his office ensures that victims of sex trafficking are always protected, noting that victims often fear for their safety. Gascón was joined by Luna and representatives from the Los Angeles Police Department, federal Department of Homeland Security and other agencies at a news conference.”
Luna said police are working to catch human traffickers throughout the year as the annual week-long operation came to an end.
The news came a month after another wide-ranging child sex trafficking sting was conducted in California, dubbed “Operation White Elephant.”
The Daily Fetched reported:
The operations were conducted over three days, concluding on December 1.
Undercover agents and detectives posed as minors on various apps and websites to snare traffickers, thus helping the arrests.
The office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta spearheaded the California operation.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta reiterated the state’s stance against such sex trafficking crimes in a press release dated December 5.
“In California, we do not tolerate the sexual exploitation and human trafficking of children,” he stated. Bonta further asserted.
“Our fight against sexual exploitation and human trafficking will not waver because even one person being exploited is one too many.”
READ: Top Pentagon Official Arrested in Massive Human Trafficking Sting
