More Than 500 Arrests Made in Annual Statewide Human Trafficking Operation, LASD Announces

Sheriff Villanueva and the Los Angeles Regional Human  Trafficking Task Force Announce Arrests and Rescues by California Law Enforcement During Operation Reclaim and Rebuild.  In conjunction with Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced details and results from the sixth annual Operation Reclaim and Rebuild enforcement operation, conducted by the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force and 70 participating federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, and task forces from across California. The weeklong, statewide effort aimed at combatting human trafficking took place between Sunday, January 26, and Saturday, February 1, 2020, and was conducted in various mediums and met with positive results. The press conference was held Tuesday, February 4, 2020 at the iconic Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles. Sheriff Alex Villanueva was joined by executives and representatives from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California Highway Patrol, California Department of Justice, Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) , San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Contra Costa County Human Trafficking Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Journey Out, Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, Los Angeles County Probation Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles School Police Department, Anaheim Police Department, Concord Police Department, San Gabriel Police Department, Saving Innocence, and Zoe International. Operation Reclaim and Rebuild focused on rescuing victims of sexual slavery and human trafficking, providing victims with much-needed services, identifying and arresting their captors, seeking successful prosecutions, and disrupting the demand for vulnerable victims by targeting their customers. Police agencies and other trafficking task forces throughout our state joined in the enforcement operation to send the clear message that California law enforcement shares a unified mandate: Human trafficking must not be tolerated in our state! In preparation for the event, an operational planning meeting took place in Los Angeles, with over 200 federal, state and municipal law enforcement detectives from all over California in attendance. Investigators focused enforcement operations wherever the trafficking of human beings took place, from confronting the reality of sidewalk prostitution by conducting demand operations, to challenging the virtual reality of the cyber world where traffickers believe they can operate anonymously using the internet. The internet furnishes a vast variety of opportunities for traffickers, but with the experience of specially-trained cyber detectives who posed as vulnerable teenagers and interacted with suspects on social media, traffickers and customers who were anxious to exploit found their plans foiled. Victims encountered during enforcement efforts were cared for by personnel from various Department of Children and Family Services Agencies and victim service providers in each county. In Los Angeles County, CAST, Saving Innocence, Zoe International, and Journey Out coordinated the emergency services response for victim care and collaborated with similar, non-governmental victim service organizations throughout the state. Operation Reclaim and Rebuild was widely successful in its endeavor with 76 adult and 11 minor victims being recovered; 266 males arrested for the charge of Solicitation; and 27 suspected traffickers and exploiters were arrested. In total, 518 arrests were made. Sheriff Villanueva relayed the mission, efforts and results of Operation Reclaim and Rebuild, and gave a firm direction to the victims: “The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and our partners stand with each victim of this heinous crime. You are the focus of this endeavor. We are here for you. We are here to help you reclaim your freedom from the binds of sex trafficking, and to provide you the support and tools to rebuild your lives. “To the traffickers and solicitors: We will not tolerate the enslavement and trafficking of others in any form. We will seek you out and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. “To the Johns: Purchasing commercial sex is illegal and buying sex adds to the exploitation of those involved,” he said poignantly. Captain Michael Hannemann, who oversaw the coordinated effort, defined the undertaking. “Operation Reclaim and Rebuild is a state-wide operation which displays the mutual commitment of California law enforcement, social service agencies, and victim service providers in the fight to end sex trafficking,” he said. “The L.A. Regional Human Trafficking Task Force is an example of how individual entities can be far more effective, when they join together in a shared mission. Today, 11 children have been rescued from their exploiters and 76 women have been connected with the services necessary to rebuild their lives, free from exploitation.” “As a task force, we are continuing to find cutting-edge approaches to serving survivors that prioritize their rights, secure their safety, and provide access to services - while holding traffickers accountable,” said CAST CEO and Executive Director Kay Buck. “I want to thank all of the amazing community leaders that are a part of the task force for being stewards of our shared community values and our evolving national model.” Deputy Chief Kris Pitcher, Los Angeles Police Department, shared four cases which came as a result of Human Trafficking Taskforce operations and daily operations. He attributed them to the collaborative work between organizations and non-governmental resource providers which come alongside to lift victims, “…out of their issues, provide them life-saving skills, life-building skills, and ultimately…prosecute those vicious criminals who prey upon them.” “Human trafficking amounts to nothing less than modern day slavery and has no place in our society,” said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in a statement. “It’s up to us to take on criminals who profit from forced labor and sexual exploitation of vulnerable Californians. Operation Reclaim and Rebuild is a testament to what can be accomplished to support survivors and combat trafficking in our state.” To watch the press conference, click: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O6ignwtH-A The following agencies and task forces participated: L.A. Regional Human Trafficking Task Force Operation Reclaim & Rebuild 2020 Participants Human Trafficking Task Forces: Contra Costa County Human Trafficking Task Force Antioch Police Department Concord Police Department Contra Costa Sheriff's Office Pittsburg Police Department Walnut Creek Police Department Contra Costa Police Department Contra Costa County Probation Department Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office FBI Safe Streets (Contra Costa County) Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation California Highway Patrol Federal Bureau of Investigation Homeland Security Investigations LA County District Attorney's Office LA County Probation Department LA County Sheriff's Department LA County Department of Children and Family Services Los Angeles Police Department Los Angeles School Police Department United States Attorney's Office Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force Anaheim Police Department California Highway Patrol Irvine Police Department Orange County District Attorney's Office Orange County Sheriff's Department Santa Ana Police Department Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force Corona Police Department Diplomatic Security Service Federal Bureau of Investigation Hemet Police Department Homeland Security Investigations Murietta Police Department Riverside County Sheriff's Department Riverside County Probation Department San Bernardino County Human Trafficking Task Force California State Parole Federal Bureau of Investigation Homeland Security Investigations Ontario Police Department Redlands Police Department San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office San Bernardino County Probation San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department San Bernardino Police Department San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation California Department of Justice - Attorney General's Office California Highway Patrol Federal Bureau of Investigation Homeland Security Investigations National City Police Department San Diego City Attorney's Office San Diego County District Attorney's Office San Diego County Probation Department San Diego County Sheriff's Department San Diego Police Department United States Attorney's Office San Luis Obispo County Human Trafficking Task Force California Department of Justice California Highway Patrol – Coastal Division Federal Bureau of Investigation Homeland Security Investigations San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office San Luis Obispo County Probation Department San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office San Luis Obispo Police Department Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Santa Maria Police Department Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Santa Barbara Human Trafficking Task Force Lompoc Police Department Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department Santa Barbara Police Department Santa Maria Police Department Santa Clara County Human Trafficking Task Force Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office San Jose Police Department Tulare County Human Trafficking Task Force Tulare County Sheriff's Department Tulare County District Attorney's Office Ventura County Human Trafficking Task Force Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Ventura County District Attorney's Office Agencies: Azusa Police Department Huntington Beach Police Department Long Beach Police Department Merced Police Department Pittsburg Police Department - VICE Placer County Special Investigations Unit Pomona PD / Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking Team Sacramento Police Department/FBI Task Force Sacramento Sheriff's Department Santa Ana Police Department Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department **Agency participated with task force and independently