San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force Arrests 48, Frees 8 Children

Law enforcement agencies respond to an incident in a file photo. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

SAN DIEGO—A multi-agency anti-human trafficking task force arrested 48 individuals in a total of 17 recent operations conducted by state, city, and federal officers, San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan announced on Feb. 21.

Officers with Operation Better Pathways also freed eight children—with some as young as age 13—through the operation that lasted several days, with a total of 41 individuals rescued, said Stephan at a press conference.

“Doctors, teachers, and superintendents that are often out there buying someone—even though they have their own children, wives, sisters, and mothers—are still willing to go out and buy a human being for sex,” she told reporters. “That is what fuels the $810 million industry of human trafficking, and they must be held accountable.”

San Diego Calif., on Aug. 10, 2018. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The operation was conducted through the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force and led by the California Department of Justice in a cooperative effort involving 14 agencies, including the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations.

“[This] reality means that every minute and every dollar that we invest in law enforcement is worth it. I want it to be stated very clearly,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria told onsite media. “This operation demonstrates that if you do wrong in this city, if you harm others, if you try and tear down our communities, if you want to harm our children, law enforcement is watching you.”

“We know who you are. We will come find you and we will take you down,” he added.

Victim advocates say cases of human trafficking and sexual exploitation have been on the rise throughout California, with some blaming Senate Bill 357, “The Safer Streets for All Act”—a law that decriminalized loitering with the intention to commit and engage in prostitution.

Women stand in "The Blade" area of Los Angeles on Feb. 8, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The bill was introduced by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last July, and went into effect on Jan. 1. One anti-trafficking group said the number of exploited people and sex buyers has increased by three times in some regions of the state since the bill was announced. Some law enforcement representatives have also spoken out against the law.

“I’m going to formally and respectfully request that this bill be repealed,” said San Diego Police Department Chief David Nisleit at the Tuesday press conference.

“It needs to be repealed because we are talking about a young lady at the age of 13 here,” said Nisleit. “How many more victims do we need to have in sex trafficking before we realize that this is not a good law?”

The task force continues to conduct investigations into crime syndicates involving human trafficking, authorities said.

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.

An earlier version of this article misspelled the name of San Diego Police Department’s Chief. The Epoch Times regrets the error.