A total of 13 people were arrested in a human trafficking sting operation carried out over Comic-Con weekend in San Diego, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, as reported by Fox5SanDiego.

The undercover operation took place from July 24 to 26, coinciding with the popular convention that drew thousands of attendees to downtown San Diego. Undercover agents with the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force made contact with individuals suspected of seeking to pay for sexual services in various parts of the county.

The arrests were made for violations of Penal Code 647(b)(2), which prohibits solicitation of commercial sex. A similar operation conducted during Comic-Con in 2023 resulted in 14 arrests.

“Solicitation of commercial sex is a crime that fuels human trafficking,” Bonta warned. “These arrests send a clear message: we will not tolerate the exploitation of people for sex or labor.”

Human trafficking can take many forms, including sexual exploitation, forced labor, or domestic servitude, typically involving force, fraud, or coercion.

Authorities emphasized that while not all commercial sex involves trafficking, individuals who purchase such services may unknowingly be contributing to the practice.

The task force leading the operation includes local, state, and federal agencies, such as the California Department of Justice, California Highway Patrol, and the FBI.