46 people were arrested during a sex trafficking sting last month in San Diego and National City, the California Attorney General’s Office announced Wednesday.
The second annual Operation Better Pathways, which involved multiple agencies, was conducted between March 5 and March 27 in “areas known for sexual exploitation,” the office said in a statement.
The 46 arrests were for alleged crimes that included human trafficking of a minor and assault with a deadly weapon.
Officials added that twenty people, including seven children, were offered support services. The California Attorney General’s Office said that San Diego County Child Welfare Services and adult and juvenile support service advocates provided assistance to potential victims and survivors of abuse.
Human trafficking is prevalent in the hospitality, commercial sex, domestic work and construction industries; victims of human trafficking are also found among migrant and seasonal agricultural workers, providers of residential care and in California’s garment sector, according to the California Attorney General’s Office.
More than 1,300 human trafficking cases were reported in 2021 in California, more than any other state, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
City News Service contributed to this report.
