California law enforcement officials have arrested 14 individuals and rescued 10 victims during a human trafficking operation at the San Diego Comic-Con Convention.
The event, held from July 25 to July 28, attracts around 100,000 attendees each year. Authorities assert that human traffickers use the convention to find potential victims.
The arrests followed an operation conducted by California’s Human Trafficking Task Force during the convention, as announced by California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
“Unfortunately, sex traffickers capitalize on large-scale events such as Comic-Con to exploit their victims for profit,” Bonta stated on Tuesday.
He added that these arrests “send a clear message to potential offenders that their criminal behavior will not be tolerated.”
The California Department of Justice revealed that the police targeted sex buyers, recovered potential victims, and apprehended traffickers.
Officers worked undercover as sex buyers to identify victims and traffickers, and also posted undercover advertisements soliciting sex to catch offenders.
In total, 14 sex buyers were arrested. Nine adult potential victims of sex trafficking and one 16-year-old were recovered and offered social services.
The operation received praise from various local and law enforcement agencies.
San Diego Sheriff Kelly Martinez emphasized the gravity of the crime, stating, “There is no more insidious crime than human trafficking.” She appreciated the operation’s focus on identifying and rescuing victims at the convention.
According to the US Department of State, there are an estimated 27.6 million victims of human trafficking worldwide at any given time.
The US Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that over 2,000 people were referred to US attorneys for human trafficking offenses in 2021, with data showing that human trafficking arrests have doubled from 2011 to 2021.
Source-BBC
