Multi-State Law Enforcement Operation Rescues 70 Human Trafficking Victims

Law enforcement officers in 19 states have rescued 70 human trafficking victims (69 adults and one juvenile) as part of Operation Coast to Coast. A total of 46 people were arrested.

The operation involved the execution of 25 search warrants and disrupted business at 26 “illicit massage businesses,” the Human Trafficking Training Center reports in a press release.

Launched in 2024, Operation Coast to Coast brings together more than 150 agencies and partners, including nonprofits like Safe House Project , Street Grace , Rotary, as well as corporate allies like Delta Air Lines, Flock Safety , and Code Four .

The 2025 investigation included new technology and victim care.

“Conducting proactive human trafficking operations can be positive and help identify victims and arrest traffickers. This group of states and agencies from across America have come together during Operation Coast to Coast, obtained proper training and participated in this nationwide operation to help victims, arrest traffickers and make their communities safer,” said Dan Nash, founder of the Human Trafficking Training Center and a former human trafficking investigator. “As more and more agencies obtain proper training, this number will grow and make trafficking inhospitable in America.”

This year, the focus of Operation Coast to Coast was Illegal Massage Businesses (IMBs), a subset of the human trafficking industry that use the cover of a legitimate business to conduct trafficking, often tied to transnational crime. There are an estimated 7,500 9,000 IMBs nationwide, creating a network that Street Grace estimates is the country’s second-largest pipeline for human trafficking.

During the Operation, law enforcement identified and entered IMBs in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Nebraska and Vermont. 

In the following days, the organizations involved in Operation Coast to Coast will provide the recovered victims with much-needed services, including food, lodging, medical services, drug rehabilitation, counseling/therapy and childcare. Delta Airlines is providing some of the victims with flights to transport them to point-of-care locations.

"The critical window immediately following a trafficking victim's escape determines their future — without immediate access to safe, trauma-informed care, 80% of survivors face re-exploitation," said Kristi Wells, CEO and Co-Founder of Safe House Project. "Safe House Project is honored to partner with law enforcement in Operation Coast to Coast, offering immediate support and safe home placement for every individual identified during these operations. When law enforcement intervention is coupled with comprehensive trauma-informed support, we create a pathway to genuine freedom. This collaborative approach ensures that survivors receive the hope, healing, and future they deserve, while holding traffickers and buyers accountable for their crimes."

Several of the law enforcement agencies involved in the Operation used the TraffickStop public safety data platform, a joint initiative of Code Four and Flock Safety. TraffickStop, which utilizes Flock Safety’s Nova platform, allows investigators to aggregate, visualize, and analyze data on suspected human trafficking groups and suspects, accelerating complex cases.

“Flock Safety’s mission is centered around helping communities become safer together, and Operation Coast to Coast embodies the spirit of this work,” said Garrett Langley, Co-Founder and CEO of Flock Safety. “Earlier this year we crossed the milestone of helping recover over 1,000 missing persons around the country, and we are incredibly proud that our technology played a role in Operation Coast to Coast to help investigate some of the most heinous trafficking cases. We look forward to seeing our technology continue to play a role in critical public safety operations like this.”   

“TraffickStop, in collaboration with Flock Safety, is proud to provide investigators with the actionable intelligence they need to strengthen cases and hold traffickers accountable,” said Andrew Romero, Founder of Code Four Development. “As a retired organized crime detective, I’ve seen how real-time intelligence accelerates enforcement actions to dismantle criminal networks. We remain committed to equipping those on the front lines with the insights to move swiftly — and compassionately — against this crime.”

“We’ve seen that when victims escape human trafficking situations — also known as modern slavery — it is absolutely critical that they receive care right away,” said Dave McCleary, Global Chair of the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery (Rotary International). “This group of stakeholders from the public and private sector has come together to ensure that wherever these victims are, we are able to help them begin the healing journey toward a new life.”