Community
Media Release: Undercover Human Trafficking Hotel Sting Operation
| Nature of Incident: | Undercover Human Trafficking Hotel Sting Operation | ||||
| Report Number: | 25-100072 | ||||
| Location: | 1500 block of Newbury Road, Thousand Oaks, California |
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| Date & Time: | August 11, 2025 @ 9:00 AM | ||||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | Ventura County Human Trafficking Task Force Ventura County Sheriff’s Special Crimes Unit Thousand Oaks Police Department Special Enforcement Unit Thousand Oaks Police Department Direct Enforcement Unit Ventura Police Department |
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| (S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent |
City of Residence |
Age | |||
(S) Adult Male (S) Adult Male (S) Adult Male (S) Adult Male (S) Adult Male |
Camarillo Oxnard Oxnard Oxnard Camarillo Santa Paula Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks Oxnard |
49 46 53 41 53 53 67 43 28 |
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| Narrative: | |||||
| On August 11, 2025, detectives from the Ventura County Human Trafficking Task Force (VCHTTF) conducted an undercover human trafficking sting operation at a local hotel in the City of Thousand Oaks, California. The goal of the operation was to rescue potential human trafficking victims, arrest traffickers, and apprehend commercial sex buyers. The Ventura County Human Trafficking Task Force is comprised of two full-time Sheriff’s Detectives, supported by representative detectives from each law enforcement agency in Ventura County, as well as several victim service providers. The VCHTTF investigates both labor and sex trafficking occurring within Ventura County. Our objectives during these operations were to rescue victims of sexual exploitation, provide social services to potential human trafficking victims in the tri-county area, arrest traffickers or pimps, and arrest the “Johns” (commercial sex buyers) who are customers of commercial sex victims. During these operations, several victim service providers are on standby and ready to respond in the event that a victim is identified and contacted. California law states that an individual is in violation of Penal Code Section 236.1 – Human Trafficking – when a person deprives or violates the personal liberty of another with the intent to effect or maintain a violation of Section 266h (Pimping), 266i (Pandering), or other related subsections. Under this statute, a suspect obtains forced labor or services by using force, fraud, or coercion on their victims. California law also states that an individual is in violation of Penal Code Section 647(b) – Solicitation of Prostitution – when a person performs any sexual act in exchange for money or other compensation or offers or agrees to such an arrangement. During the operation on August 11, detectives arrested nine (9) commercial sex buyers for violating California Penal Code Section 647(b) – Solicitation of Prostitution. All arrestees were issued citations and released on the scene. The task force hopes to raise awareness about human trafficking within the community. Detectives believe that these proactive enforcement efforts are crucial in the fight against the human trafficking business. Detectives encourage anyone who believes they are a victim, or who knows a victim of human trafficking, to contact “211” or local law enforcement to be connected with services. |
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| Prepared by: | Detective Nan Jiang | ||||
| News Release Date: | August 15, 2025 | ||||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | Detective Nan Jiang Office: 805-383-8700 [email protected] |
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| Approved by: Booking Photo Release: |
Sergeant Whittaker, Special Crimes Unit YES NO X |
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Address/Location
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
800 S Victoria Ave
Ventura, CA 93003
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 805-654-9511