Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jul 1
Law Enforcement Arrests 9 in Hoover-Linked Figueroa Sex Trafficking Takedown
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jul 1

Law Enforcement Arrests 9 in Hoover-Linked Figueroa Sex Trafficking Takedown

3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jul 1

Summary

  • Nine people were arrested Wednesday in South Los Angeles, with one more arrest made Monday, after federal authorities unsealed an indictment tied to a Hoover-linked sex trafficking operation.
  • The takedown targeted the Figueroa corridor’s 3.5-mile stretch known as "The Blade," where officials said girls as young as 14 were being sold for sex.
  • The indictment says Hoover members and associates controlled prostitution along the corridor and specific motels, including Stadium Inn & Spas; its 45-year-old manager was arrested.
  • One defendant, 23-year-old Cameron Lockett of Anaheim, is accused of trafficking an 18-year-old woman and brutally assaulting her before sending her to a hospital for stitches.
  • The case expands a broader crackdown on a gang that authorities say has long dominated South L.A.'s most notorious sex-trade hub.

Insights

What will the IRS probe reveal about the financial network linking a motel to organized crime?
How will authorities stop other local motels from becoming the next hubs for gang-run trafficking?
How did a notorious LA gang exploit the foster care system for its sex trafficking ring?