Southern District of California

Undercover videos show breadth of trafficking in Southern California – NewsNation
|

Undercover videos show breadth of trafficking in Southern California – NewsNation

Editor’s note: there is a legal difference between prostitution and human trafficking. Learn the difference today by taking Human Trafficking Essentials! (NewsNation) — Undercover videos shot over one night in San Diego that show rows of women offering to sell sex — and car after car lined up to buy — illustrate the breadth of…

DHS and DOJ Announce Historic Guatemalan Human Smuggling Extraditions
|

DHS and DOJ Announce Historic Guatemalan Human Smuggling Extraditions

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security joined the U.S. Department of Justice yesterday to announce the first ever extraditions from Guatemala to the United States on charges of human smuggling resulting in death, and the first Guatemalan human smuggling extraditions to the United States of any kind in nearly five years. This announcement…

48 arrests, 8 children rescued in sex trafficking operation in San Diego | cbs8.com
|

48 arrests, 8 children rescued in sex trafficking operation in San Diego | cbs8.com

SAN DIEGO — Local, state and federal authorities announced Tuesday they’ve arrested 48 people and rescued 8 children during an operation aimed at combating human trafficking and sexual exploitation. ‘Operation Better Pathways’ launched in January. “The youngest victim rescued during this operation was 13 years old,” said SDPD Chief David Nisleit.”She was seen walking the…

Church pastor, wife sentenced after using homeless for forced labor, stealing benefits
|

Church pastor, wife sentenced after using homeless for forced labor, stealing benefits

A California pastor and his wife will serve time behind bars after pleading guilty to forcing homeless people to give up their welfare benefits and panhandle for up to nine hours a day, six days a week, in what federal prosecutors call a church labor trafficking scheme. Victor Gonzalez, the head pastor of Imperial Valley…

Human Smuggler Sentenced Following Migrant Death
| | |

Human Smuggler Sentenced Following Migrant Death

MIDLAND, Texas – A Guatemalan national man was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison for immigration crimes. According to court documents, Mario Rigoberto Diego-Esteban, aka “Lentes,” 26, was sentenced following his guilty plea to one count of illegal re-entry after deportation and one count of transporting undocumented migrants for commercial advantage and private financial…

Readout of Southwest Border U.S. Attorneys Visit to Mexico
| | |

Readout of Southwest Border U.S. Attorneys Visit to Mexico

From Aug. 23 to 25, a delegation of U.S. Attorneys, their criminal division chiefs, and Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force chiefs (OCDETF) from eight border districts traveled to Mexico City to participate in a series of briefings and meetings on security cooperation matters, including efforts to combat transnational criminal organizations and efforts to…

Former San Diego Police Officer and Three Co-Defendants Indicted for Owning and Operating Illicit Massage Businesses in California and Arizona
| | |

Former San Diego Police Officer and Three Co-Defendants Indicted for Owning and Operating Illicit Massage Businesses in California and Arizona

A federal judge in the Southern District of California partially unsealed an indictment today in which four individuals are charged with conspiracy, interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering (ITAR), money laundering, making a false statement to a mortgage lender, and wire fraud for conduct associated with owning and operating five illicit…