13 arrested, 30 survivors found in Contra Costa human trafficking bust
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY – Authorities made 13 arrests and identified more than two dozen survivors of human trafficking following a recent bust in Contra Costa County, prosecutors said.
According to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office, more than two dozen agencies in the county took part in "Operation Reclaim and Rebuild", a weeklong statewide effort to find human trafficking survivors and apprehend their exploiters.
From January 23 to January 28, eight separate anti-human trafficking operations took place in Contra Costa County. During the operations, 13 suspected human traffickers were arrested and 30 survivors were identified.
The DA's office said the survivors had an opportunity to speak with a specialized human trafficking victim advocate and were offered services.
Prosecutors said the suspects were arrested on various offenses, including sex trafficking of an adult, sex trafficking of a minor, pimping, along with pandering.
"My office stands ready to evaluate these cases for prosecution and hold traffickers accountable for their exploitation of vulnerable members of our community," District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement Friday.
Prosecutors did not give the suspects' names in their statement.
Law enforcement agencies that took part in the operation included the FBI, California Highway Patrol, the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office and several local police departments.
Anyone with information about suspected human trafficking or related crimes is asked to call their local law enforcement agency or the Contra Costa County DA Human Trafficking Tip Line at 925-957-8658.