As thousands of visitors pour into San Diego for Comic-Con, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and event leaders joined Wednesday to offer tips on combating human trafficking.
Bonta’s office said the state Department of Justice’s San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force will be conducting operations during Comic-Con, and that “the public can help by reporting any suspicious activity they may see.’”
“Comic-Con is an incredible event that brings people from all over the world together in San Diego to celebrate creativity, art, and community – we’re grateful to Comic-Con International for using their platform in partnership with my office to raise awareness of human trafficking,” Bonta said in a statement.
Bonta’s office said human trafficking is among the world’s fastest-growing criminal enterprises – estimated to be a $150 billion per year global industry – and the criminal activity can spike during large gatherings like Comic Con.
Identifying victims of human trafficking, or a crime where perpetrators profit from the exploitation of men, women and children for sex or labor through coercion, fraud or force, can be difficult as they are often isolated by traffickers, officials said.
Victims can be locked behind closed doors, or can also be hidden in plain sight. They may have a seemingly legal job at a hotel, factory or restaurant, but are actually working for little or no pay.
A list of common signs and red flags for human trafficking can be found online.
The U.S. is a leading destination for human traffickers, with California leading the states in 2023 with 11.74% of cases, according to data from the U.S. Department of State. In 2023, up to 17,000 victims were involved in about 10,000 human trafficking in the U.S., data shows.
If you or someone you know is being forced to engage in any activity and cannot leave, you can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888- 373-7888 to access help and services.
If you are, or someone else, is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.