The U.S. Marshals Service Central District of California and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, along with several partner agencies, carried out a week-long child recovery effort called Operation Safe Return. The operation led to the recovery or safe location of 37 children and seven arrests, including a major federal case tied to child trafficking.
The effort was led by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force with support from federal and local law enforcement. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom jointly announced the results, pointing to the coordinated effort that led to the recoveries and arrests.
Who were the children?
More than 50 children between the ages of 14 and 17 were identified as missing during the operation. Investigators with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force worked to track each case.
Once a potential location was identified, a multi-disciplinary team of law enforcement and social services responded. Recoveries took place across Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Orange County and Los Angeles County.
The operation focused on children missing for one month to two years. Through federal and state coordination, some children were also located in Northern California, Arizona and Nevada.
The 37 recovered children were considered high-risk, including those vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking. Their ages, genders and citizenship status have not been disclosed.
Crimes uncovered
Some children were identified as victims of crimes, including trafficking and assault.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco explained that human trafficking operates differently in the region, telling NBC Los Angeles that “trafficking is through hotels, events and apps online.”
Seven people were arrested, while 13 cases remain open.
The federal arrest
Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles identified one suspect as Shannon Devon Hilt, a 30-year-old from Los Angeles, accused of trafficking two girls ages 14 and 15.
According to the complaint, the victims were recruited and transported by Hilt to carry out commercial acts for his financial gain across Los Angeles County.
At his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, a federal judge ordered Hilt held without bail. He faces federal charges for trafficking of minors and is scheduled to appear in court again on March 30.
If convicted, Hilt faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in federal prison for each count. HSI Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang addressed the scope of the case. “Trafficking of minors is unfortunately a lucrative enterprise that is prevalent across Southern California,” Wang said. “The arrest of Hilt and rescue of close to 40 child victims over the course of one week highlights the importance of close collaboration with our partners in the relentless fight to end human trafficking.”
Government statements
Governor Newsom stressed the state’s commitment to child safety, “Every child deserves to be safe, protected and given the chance to live their life free from exploitation. California will continue to stand with victims and survivors, protect our most vulnerable and do everything in our power to bring every child home safely. I’m grateful to our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to locate these missing children, support survivors of trafficking and hold those responsible for harming our kids accountable.”
Attorney General Bonta said, “We will never stop fighting to protect California children and bring them home. Through close collaboration between state and federal authorities, we were able to identify, locate and safely recover 37 vulnerable children while holding those responsible for their exploitation accountable.” Bonta added, “Finding missing children and bringing them home safely is some of the most important work we can do. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect children, support families and ensure every child in California is safe.”
What comes next
With 13 cases still active, law enforcement continues to pursue leads. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said the operation “demonstrates the power of collaboration between law enforcement and community partners in protecting our most vulnerable population — our children.”