LOS ANGELES — Authorities made hundreds of arrests and rescued dozens of adult and juvenile victims during an annual statewide operation to combat human trafficking, Los Angeles law enforcement agencies announced Thursday.
More than 100 federal, state and local agencies, and task forces participated in “Operation Reclaim and Rebuild” across California, between Jan. 26 and Feb. 1, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The statewide effort resulted in 450 people arrested, 51 of which were for an alleged felony crime. During the weeklong operation, 39 victims were rescued, including 13 children, KTLA reported.
Those figures were announced during a joint news conference late Thursday morning involving LAPD, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office, among others.
Officials emphasized that the number of arrests and rescues during the operation represent just a fraction of the total made during the year.
“There are still operations that take place 365 days out of the year as well,” L.A. sheriff’s Capt. Michael Hannemann said.
The captain recounted several cases from the most recent operation.
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