17 arrested in trafficking crackdown
SUNNYVALE >> A statewide crackdown on human trafficking in late January and early February culminated in more than a dozen arrests and the recovery of several victims in the Bay Area, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.
The sheriff’s office carried out “Operation Reclaim and Rebuild” between Jan. 26 and Feb. 1, teaming up with the Milpitas and San Jose police departments, as well as the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, according to sheriff’s Deputy Jessica Gabaldon.
In a news release, Gabaldon said the Santa Clara County Law Enforcement to Investigate Human Trafficking, or LEIHT, Task Force ultimately arrested 16 johns, recovered five victims and identified four individuals who had failed to register as sex offenders. The task force also arrested 36-year-old Issac Lee on suspicion of human trafficking.
Lee allegedly brought a victim to the Bay Area from out of state to work as a prostitute, according to Gabaldon. The victim, Gabaldon added, believed Lee was going to help her get back to her family. The task force, with help from Community Solutions and the Young Women’s Christian Association, or YWCA, returned the victim to her family.
During the investigation, the task force also identified two other women with ties to Lee.
“Investigators believe the victims were targeted based on their narcotics dependency and that it was used as a method of control,” Gabaldon said.
Lee was booked into county jail on charges of human trafficking, pimping and pandering. He is being held on $125,000 bail at the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas, according to online jail records.
Statewide, authorities made 518 arrests during the operation, including 27 for human trafficking and 266 for solicitation of prostitution, according to the sheriff’s office. In addition 76 adult and 11 minor victims were recovered and provided with advocate resources.
Anyone with information regarding human trafficking can contact the LEIHT Task Force at 408-918-4960 or humantrafficking@shf. sccgov.org.