Over 600 alleged traffickers, sex buyers arrested in massive California trafficking sting

LOS ANGELES - A massive multi-agency operation has dismantled a human trafficking ring operating out of residential brothels in Los Angeles County.

The weeklong crackdown resulted in hundreds of arrests and the rescue of nearly 20 children across California.

What we know:

Operation Reclaim and Rebuild was a coordinated statewide effort involving dozens of agencies and the LA Regional Human Trafficking Task Force. In LA County alone, 12 adults and five children were rescued from trafficking conditions. 

LASD Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed that the investigation was sparked by a single citizen complaint about a house in Walnut, which led to months of surveillance and the discovery of several other brothels in the area. 

Among the 600 people arrested statewide were numerous suspected traffickers and hundreds of sex buyers.

What we don't know:

While officials confirmed the rescue of victims from as far away as Illinois, Oklahoma, and Missouri, the specific identities of the suspects and the locations of all seized residential brothels have not been released. 

It remains unclear how many of the 600 arrests will result in felony human trafficking charges versus lesser solicitation charges.

What they're saying:

"We have traffickers that are putting barely teenage girls on the streets of Los Angeles to be victimized, repeatedly, over and over again," LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said. "These children did not come from one place. They came from Chicago, from Oklahoma, from Missouri, tribal lands ... and from communities right here in the state of California."

District Attorney Nathan Hochman described the crisis as "modern slavery," stating, "How embarrassing that I could actually say that we have corridors of human sex trafficking throughout Los Angeles County. It's also a dubious distinction that Los Angeles County is one of the epicenters of human sex trafficking in the entire nation."

What's next:

The District Attorney’s office is expected to begin processing cases for the hundreds of suspects detained during the weeklong operation.

Local law enforcement will continue surveillance on the identified "corridors" of trafficking to prevent the re-establishment of residential brothels in suburban neighborhoods.