A recent undercover operation led to the rescue of 10 victims, including one minor, and the arrest of 14 suspected sex traffickers at San Diego Comic-Con, according to a recent report. press release From the office of Attorney General Rob Bonta (D).
The Attorney General’s Office, in collaboration with the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, deployed undercover agents on a three-day operation to pose as prostitutes and post false advertisements soliciting sex acts, to locate potential victims and arrest traffickers. The operation was successful in arresting more than a dozen suspected prostitutes and rescuing nine adult victims and a 16-year-old girl.
“Coercion and violence to enslave people for profit.”
“Supporters from Child Welfare Services and Adult and Youth Services were on scene and provided assistance as needed,” the press release stated.
Bonta explained that sex traffickers use San Diego’s annual Comic-Con and other “mega-events,” which draw more than 100,000 attendees, as opportunities to exploit victims.
“This arrest sends a clear message to potential offenders that their criminal behavior will not be tolerated,” Bonta said. “I want to thank all of our dedicated partners at the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force — their collaboration is invaluable. We take great pride in our agency’s work to uplift vulnerable Californians by providing support and guidance at a time when they need it most.”
San Diego Sheriff Kelly Martinez called human trafficking the most “insidious crime.”
“Coercion and violence that enslave people and force them into forced labor or sex acts for profit is a crime,” Martinez said. “As Sheriff, I support the efforts of all of our law enforcement partners to hold perpetrators accountable, and I appreciate the focus of our recent meeting on identifying and rescuing victims of human trafficking.”
“Working together, our teams identified and arrested more than a dozen individuals engaged in illegal activity across the city over the weekend. The operation was successful and resulted in the rescue of 10 human trafficking victims, including girls as young as 16 years old. These results demonstrate that our collective efforts to combat human trafficking and hold offenders accountable are working,” said San Diego Police Chief Wall.
San Diego Comic Convention Fox News Digital I didn’t know about the sting operation.
“Obviously, we find this extremely concerning. We were not made aware of this operation but our understanding is that the arrests were made outside the event,” the convention said. “We work closely with various law enforcement agencies throughout the year and stand ready to assist in any way we can.”
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censorship and sign up for our newsletter to receive stories like this directly to your inbox. Register here!
