Comic-Con Human Trafficking Sting Leads to 14 Arrests
Local law enforcement conducted a sting on a human trafficking ring at San Diego Comic-Con, which resulted in 14 arrests. During the sting, 10 potential victims were recovered.
How It Was Done
According to Fox News, The AG’s office said law enforcement personnel worked undercover as sex buyers to identify and contact potential victims of trafficking and arrest their traffickers. As part of the operation, law enforcement personnel also posted undercover advertisements soliciting sex to arrest buyers.
What Law Enforcement Said
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement, “Unfortunately, sex traffickers capitalize on large-scale events such as Comic-Con to exploit their victims for profit. These arrests send a clear message to potential offenders that their criminal behavior will not be tolerated. We are grateful to all our dedicated partners involved in the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, whose collaboration has been invaluable.”
San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez added, “There is no more insidious crime than human trafficking. The coercion and violence that enslaves people for profit and places them into forced labor or sex is criminal. As the Sheriff, I support the efforts of all our justice partners in holding perpetrators accountable.”
