WASHINGTON — A federal task force led by Homeland Security Investigations has charged 10 people in Los Angeles with federal racketeering offenses tied to a sex trafficking operation that authorities say victimized at least 51 people, including children as young as 14, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
According to DHS, HSI Los Angeles, working alongside federal partner agencies and state and local law enforcement, executed more than 20 federal warrants during the week of July 1 and arrested 10 suspects. Most of those charged, according to the department, are members or associates of the Hoover Criminals Gang, which authorities say has been engaged in sex trafficking activity in the Figueroa Corridor of Los Angeles.
The 10 suspects face federal racketeering charges related to sex trafficking, money laundering, firearms offenses, and narcotics offenses, according to DHS. The department said many of the defendants have prior criminal records including robbery, kidnapping, and burglary. The suspects are charged, not convicted; a criminal indictment contains only allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
How prosecutors say the operation worked
According to DHS, prosecutors allege that the suspects targeted runaways for sex trafficking, including children from foster care systems, and used social media to recruit victims. The department said some victims are as young as 14. Prosecutors allege the defendants used coercion, physical force, and branding to intimidate their victims, according to the release.
Investigators have identified at least 51 people as victims in the case, DHS said. The department did not describe how many are minors, how many are cooperating with prosecutors, or what services are being made available to them.
Second phase of Operation Broken Blade
This week’s arrests represent the second round of Operation Broken Blade, a HSI Los Angeles initiative first launched in August 2025 targeting members of the Hoover Criminals Gang and their affiliates, according to DHS. The department said the first round of the operation resulted in 11 arrests in August 2025, executed in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol. Those defendants’ trials are scheduled to begin in March 2027, according to DHS.
The week’s operation involved HSI Los Angeles, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations division, according to the department.
Statements from officials
“This operation in Los Angeles resulted in the arrest of ten gang members, who now face federal racketeering charges including sex trafficking, money laundering, firearms offenses, and narcotics offenses,” Acting Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement. “Thanks to the hard work of the men and women of ICE and our law enforcement partners, these dangerous criminals are off our streets and will not be able to exploit innocent children anymore. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, DHS is dismantling human and sex trafficking rings.”
“The actions taken today by HSI are another decisive blow against those who have exploited the vulnerable people of our community, and they will now face the consequences of those actions,” Eddy Wang, Special Agent in Charge for HSI Los Angeles, said in a statement. “HSI remains steadfast in our mission to protect victims and pursue justice against human traffickers. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure those responsible are held fully accountable and that victims receive the support they deserve.”
The 10 defendants are expected to be arraigned in federal court in the Central District of California. Their trial dates have not been set.
Victims or witnesses of sex trafficking, including runaways and youth exploited through social media, can contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or by texting “HELP” to 233733. Reports can also be made to HSI at 1-866-347-2423.
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security
