Attorney General Bonta Announces Results of Operation Better Pathways

In 3rd annual SDHTTF operation, 13 individuals and one minor were recovered and offered support services 

SAN DIEGO – As part of a joint investigation through the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force (SDHTTF), California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the results of Operation Better Pathways. The multi-jurisdictional operation, which concluded earlier this month, is part of a broader, regional effort to combat human trafficking and sexual exploitation through targeted enforcement, relying both on surveillance of known locations and officers working undercover. As a result of the multi-day operation, eight individuals were arrested on four felony and four misdemeanor charges, and 13 individuals — including one minor — were offered support services.

“Human trafficking and sexual exploitation have no place in California,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Through Operation Better Pathways, we’re fighting to hold perpetrators accountable and help survivors get a fresh start. I’m grateful to all of our partners on the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force for their collaboration, our collective efforts help uplift and protect vulnerable Californians. When we work together, we get results. At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to work to protect survivors and combat human trafficking and sexual exploitation wherever they occur.”

Through Operation Better Pathways, the task force sought to both hold perpetrators accountable and provide support services to victims and survivors to empower them — and help them regain their independence. During the operation, law enforcement personnel conducted targeted surveillance of areas known for sexual exploitation in San Diego and National City, utilizing various investigative techniques to directly identify and stop alleged human trafficking and sexual exploitation in real time. Simultaneously, law enforcement went after sex buyers by posing as individuals offering sex for sale at those same locations.

Operation Better Pathways began on August 12 and was carried out through August 15. As part of the effort, San Diego County Child Family Well Being and adult and juvenile support service advocates provided assistance as needed. All of the potential victims and survivors were offered access to resources and supportive services.

SDHTTF is a cooperative effort involving the California Department of Justice, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 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, Southwest Border High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. In addition to serving as the lead agency on the SDHTTF, the California Department of Justice has two regional Human Trafficking and Sexual Predator Apprehension Teams serving Northern California and Southern California.

Human traffickers profit from the control and exploitation of adults and children for sex or labor through force, fraud, or coercion. Human trafficking does not require movement across borders. In California, 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. 

If you or someone you know is being forced to engage in any activity and cannot leave, you can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 to access help and services. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. Additional information and resources to support survivors of human trafficking is available here.