OAN Staff Blake Wolf
4:24 PM – Monday, December 29, 2025
The multi-agency “Operation Home for the Holidays” sting operation, which launched earlier this month, resulted in the recovery and rescue of 19 victims across San Diego County in California.
The operation ended in mid-December and specifically focused on the South Bay and City of San Diego, being led by the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force (SDHTTF), a multi-jurisdictional collaboration of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, in addition to California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
19 victims have since been rescued, and 10 individuals have been arrested or cited, including a registered sex offender. Many San Diego-area stings publicly name and show mugshots of arrestees, but victim-focused operations, such as this one, typically do not.
The multi‑agency sting took place December 10–12 at several motels across San Diego, National City, and Chula Vista.
Four of the men, suspected traffickers, now face felony charges such as pimping, pandering, and violating a protective order, while the remaining six were issued misdemeanor citations for allegedly attempting to purchase sex.
The six alleged sex buyers received misdemeanor citations rather than full custodial arrests primarily due to legal discretion, operational priorities, and the nature of the offense. This approach still results in criminal charges, misdemeanor solicitation, potential fines, jail time upon conviction, and a record, but avoids immediate jail time for these individuals.
“The annual, multi-jurisdictional operation works to combat human trafficking through targeted enforcement utilizing undercover officers to arrest potential traffickers and by offering support to survivors,” a press release issued by Bonta read.
“Operation Home for the Holidays is a key part of our efforts to keep our communities safe for the holidays and all year round,” Bonta stated. “I want to thank our partners at the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, who work to support victims, survivors, and their families. Together, we will continue to disrupt human trafficking operations and achieve meaningful results that uplift vulnerable Californians.”
“The ugly truth is that sex trafficking remains a lucrative criminal industry fueled by demand that generates over $810 million a year in San Diego County,” added San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan.
“I’m proud of our work with the San Diego Regional Human Trafficking Task Force, my office’s Sex Crimes and Human Trafficking Division and all our partners that work around the clock to recover victims as young as 12. Together they hold human traffickers and criminal buyers accountable for their crimes. The ongoing efforts of the task force demonstrate that law enforcement will not tolerate this modern-day slavery of vulnerable victims who are bought and sold like a slice of pizza.”
The release went on to reveal that throughout the operation, law enforcement personnel worked undercover as “sex buyers to identify and contact potential victims of trafficking and traffickers.”
“As part of the effort, Child and Family Well-Being adult and juvenile support service advocates were on scene to provide support as needed.”
The joint operation involved 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, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, 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, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, and the Chula Vista Police Department.
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 are available here.
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