Police reportedly arrested 539 people in a week-long sex trafficking sting.
Law enforcement reportedly took several suspected sex traffickers into custody and saved various victims in California last week as part of the state’s 10th annual Operation Reclaim and Rebuild, ABC 7 reported.
More than 500 arrested, dozens rescued in statewide human trafficking operation
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
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Authorities arrested 40 suspected “sex traffickers or exploiters” and 271 suspected “sex buyers,” the outlet reported. There were 54 adults and 11 children rescued as part of the statewide initiative, including a 14-year-old girl, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
“Human trafficking and child exploitation are devastating crimes that prey on some of the most vulnerable members of our community,” Luna said.
More than 95 federal, state and local agencies, including personnel from the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force, participated in the anti-human trafficking mission, according to the outlet. It is unknown how many arrests were made in Los Angeles County.
One Los Angeles County operation concluded with the arrest of 12 male suspects, including two registered sex offenders, on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution, Luna said. Task force personnel administered a secret “sex buyer” operation on Holt Avenue in Pomona, which led to the arrests, the outlet reported.
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 that law enforcement personnel work constantly to catch human traffickers throughout the year as the annual week-long operation, which was conducted during Human Trafficking Awareness Month, came to an end.