An officer talks with a sex trafficking victim. (File photo courtesy of the FBI)
Eight people were arrested during an anti-human trafficking sting recently conducted in San Diego and National City, according to the California Attorney General’s Office.
Along with the arrests, the A.G.’s office said 13 “potential victims and survivors” – including one minor – were “recovered and offered support services” as a result of “Operation Better Pathways.”
The eight people were arrested on suspicion of four felonies and four misdemeanors, though the A.G.’s office didn’t specify the alleged crimes.
“Human trafficking and sexual exploitation have no place in California,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement issued Friday. “Through Operation Better Pathways, we’re fighting to hold perpetrators accountable and help survivors get a fresh start.”
The multi-agency San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force conducted the operation from Aug. 12 through Aug. 15 in “areas known for sexual exploitation” with undercover officers posing as people offering sex for sale as a way to target commercial sex buyers.
The task force also used surveillance and “various investigative techniques to directly identify and stop alleged human trafficking and sexual exploitation in real time,” the A.G.’s office said.
The California Attorney General’s Office said anyone who is or knows someone who may be a victim can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 to access help and services.