The latest crackdown on human trafficking in Los Angeles took place as federal authorities arrested 10 people along the Figueroa corridor, a known hotbed for prostitution. The arrests are part of Operation Broken Blade, a joint federal and local law enforcement effort targeting sex trafficking and prostitution in the South Los Angeles area.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, six alleged members and associates of the Hoover Criminal Gang, along with the manager of the Stadium Inn & Spas in South Los Angeles, were arrested Wednesday on federal indictments alleging crimes including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking of children and adults, drug trafficking, and money laundering.
Three additional defendants were charged in separate federal sex trafficking cases, bringing the total number of defendants arrested to 10.
“Sex trafficking of young women and children ranks among the worst criminal offenses our office prosecutes — truly the lowest of the low,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. “We hope today’s arrests break the cycle of crime and abuse in one of L.A.’s most notorious human trafficking corridors.”
Prosecutors alleged that the Hoover gang, who heavily control that area, prey upon vulnerable girls and young women through social media and in person, often targeting runaways, minors, people in foster care, and those facing financial or emotional hardship. With promises of luxury lifestyles, many victims willingly went with the plan before being subjected to violence and doses of drugs inducing addiction to keep them under control.
Authorities also allege victims were required to surrender all proceeds from commercial sex acts and faced assaults, public humiliation, branding, or the withholding of food, drugs, or affection if they disobeyed their alleged pimps.
Prosecutors accuse Mukeshkumar Rambhai Ahir, 45, manager of the Stadium Inn & Spas on South Vermont Avenue, of accepting deposits of 64,000 in proceeds generated by the alleged trafficking operation between September 2024 and January 2026.
“By working hand in hand with our federal partners, we are doing far more than making arrests,” Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said. “We are dismantling the criminal enterprises that profit from human trafficking, rescuing victims, and reclaiming the Figueroa Corridor for the community that has always deserved better.”
If convicted, several defendants face mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years in federal prison and could receive life sentences.
