A notorious stretch of Figueroa Street in South Los Angeles, flanked by nearly two dozen churches and several schools, has become a significant hub for human trafficking. This alarming situation has spurred federal, city, and county agencies in Los Angeles to launch a groundbreaking initiative aimed at dismantling sex trafficking operations in the area. Officials announced the Figueroa Corridor Human Trafficking Initiative on Wednesday, highlighting the urgent need to address the exploitation of vulnerable individuals, including girls as young as 11 years old.
The initiative will concentrate its efforts on the Figueroa Corridor, a 3.5-mile segment of Figueroa Street extending between Gage Avenue and Imperial Highway. U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, alongside Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, and Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Felstein Soto, underscored the severity of the problem and the commitment to eradicating it. The collaborative effort aims to target sex traffickers who employ violence, intimidation, and psychological abuse to exploit victims along this corridor.
‘Outdoor Bordello’ Conditions Plague Figueroa Corridor
For years, the Figueroa Corridor has been a source of distress for the surrounding community, encompassing both businesses and residential areas. According to U.S. Attorney Estrada, the area’s proximity to numerous community institutions ironically underscores the depth of the crisis.
“Within this area, we have 23 churches and five middle and elementary schools. Yet, this same area has become ground zero for human trafficking, where children and women are subjected to exploitation and abuse daily,” Estrada stated, emphasizing the stark contrast between the area’s community resources and its grim reality.
The conditions along the Figueroa Corridor have deteriorated to such an extent that young girls and women are forced into commercial sex work even during daylight hours. As night falls, the area transforms into what Estrada described as an “outdoor bordello,” illustrating the brazen and pervasive nature of the trafficking activities.
“We witness underage girls walking around scantily clad, regardless of the weather, with pimps closely monitoring them from nearby cars,” he detailed, painting a disturbing picture of the environment victims are trapped in.
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Figueroa Street in South Los Angeles, highlighting the area's churches and schools amidst human trafficking concerns. ]
Multi-Agency Approach to Combat Sex Trafficking on Figueroa Street
The Figueroa Corridor Human Trafficking Initiative represents a coordinated strategy, uniting Los Angeles authorities with federal investigators. This partnership is crucial for effectively identifying, arresting, and prosecuting human traffickers who operate within and around Figueroa Street La. By pooling resources and expertise, the initiative aims to dismantle trafficking networks and bring perpetrators to justice.
Exploitation of Foster Children: A Disturbing Trend
Recent arrests and indictments under the initiative have highlighted a particularly vulnerable group: foster children. In one alarming case, two individuals are accused of ensnaring a 13-year-old girl from a group home into prostitution. Nanci Jasmin Castillo, 31, and Jonathan Gonzalez-Reyes, 38, both from Anaheim, allegedly gained the teen’s trust by providing her with alcohol before sexually assaulting her and documenting the abuse through videos and photographs, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Another significant outcome of the collaboration between federal and Los Angeles agencies is the conviction of Donavin Dwayne Brandford, 33. Brandford received a life sentence in federal prison for his role in recruiting teenage girls from group homes and coercing them into prostitution along the Figueroa Corridor and other locations, demonstrating the severity of the consequences for traffickers.
Victims as Young as 11: The Startling Reality of Figueroa Street Trafficking
Mayor Karen Bass expressed her support for the multi-agency initiative, acknowledging that the crisis on the Figueroa Corridor has been a long-standing issue. She emphasized the vulnerability of the victims, many of whom are young girls who have already experienced abuse and neglect within their families before entering the foster care system.
“The common entry age into trafficking is around 12 years old,” Mayor Bass revealed, underscoring the youth of those being exploited. “With the launch of this initiative, we are determined to bring an end to this scourge.”
Mayor Bass also commended the shift in perspective among law enforcement, noting their recognition of the young girls on Figueroa Street as victims in need of rescue and support.
“I was extremely proud to hear officers refer to these children as trafficked individuals and victims. This marks a significant cultural change,” Bass stated. “It has taken considerable time for society to recognize these girls as victims rather than criminals, and to understand that their situation reflects a failure of our society to protect them.”
LAPD Chief Choi reported that in the preceding six months alone, Los Angeles Police Department officers have rescued 84 minors from the Figueroa Street area, including a victim as young as 11 years old, illustrating the immediate impact of law enforcement efforts and the scale of the problem.
Community Concerns: Safety and Well-being on Figueroa Street
Residents living near the Figueroa Corridor have voiced persistent concerns about the open prostitution and its impact on their neighborhood. Helen Elaine Lee, a local resident, shared her growing worries as her 5-year-old daughter gets older and becomes more aware of her surroundings.
“My child couldn’t play outside freely because of the possibility of encountering someone naked on the street,” Lee explained, highlighting the extreme and unsettling situations residents face.
As her daughter matures, Lee noted that she has begun asking questions about what she witnesses in their neighborhood, particularly the young girls she sees. “She notices young girls, sometimes even appearing younger than her niece or cousins, and questions why they are dressed in revealing clothing on the street, asking, ‘Isn’t that attire for swimming pools or the beach?’” Lee recounted, illustrating the difficult conversations and realities that families in the area must navigate due to the human trafficking crisis on Figueroa Street LA.
