Nationwide Sex Trafficking Bust Nets Over 30 Arrests, Rescues 70 Victims [WATCH]

A coordinated multi-state law enforcement operation targeting illicit massage parlors and hotels linked to human trafficking resulted in more than 30 arrests and the rescue of at least 70 victims, including minors, authorities announced Thursday.

The initiative, named Operation Coast to Coast, involved over 150 law enforcement agencies across 19 states.

The operation focused primarily on Chinese-owned illicit massage businesses, which officials said are part of an organized crime network contributing to the estimated $5 billion U.S. sex trafficking industry, according to Blaze News.

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Dan Nash, a retired Missouri state trooper and founder of the Human Trafficking Training Center (HTTC), led the effort.

Nash stated the primary goals were to identify trafficking victims, apprehend traffickers, and gather actionable intelligence among partner agencies.

“In California and New York, they have more illicit massage businesses than they do Starbucks and McDonald’s combined,” Nash said.

He noted that his law enforcement training organization has prepared thousands of officers across the country to better detect and respond to human trafficking cases.

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“Most people think that the police officers are trained, but they’re not. They don’t get this kind of training,” Nash said.

“We’ve not been giving our law enforcement officers the tools that they need to battle trafficking, and that’s why trafficking continues to increase.”

Participation in HTTC’s operations is exclusive to agencies that have completed its training program.

According to Nash, this ensures that law enforcement is better equipped to distinguish victims from offenders, rather than mistakenly arresting individuals coerced into prostitution.

“Part of our training is explaining to law enforcement that these actually are victims, showing them why they are victims, showing them about the forced criminality component that is taking place and how to actually get to the trafficker when they find these victims,” Nash explained.

He cited studies in both the U.S. and Europe showing that 90 to 93 percent of those involved in commercial sex are being trafficked or under third-party control.

Nash also raised concerns about the rapid expansion of Chinese organized crime groups, calling them “the fastest growing in all of America.”

He said these syndicates operate an estimated 19,000 illicit massage parlors nationwide and claimed the number has grown by 32 percent in the past three years.

Nash connected the rise in trafficking to border policies under former President Joe Biden, stating that many of the victims have been smuggled into the country.

Thursday’s operation aimed to close 50 to 100 of the illegal businesses and remove victims from ongoing exploitation.

Kristi Wells, CEO of the Safe House Project—a national nonprofit that provides emergency support for sex trafficking survivors—emphasized the critical role of support services. She said 80 percent of victims are at risk of being trafficked again without proper care.

“Operation Coast to Coast has opened an opportunity to send this clear message to traffickers that this crime isn’t going to be tolerated in our community,” Wells said.

She noted that many victims face major hurdles, including language barriers, immigration status issues, and coerced drug addiction.

“All of them have experienced a horrific trauma that takes therapy and healing to recover and to rebuild life anew,” Wells said.

“Our team does a beautiful job of building trust with that survivor and communicating with them and finding translators and working to give them choice, which is the thing that has been robbed from them.”

Safe House Project Co-Founder and CEO, @kristiwells, and Dan Nash joined @DanaPerino on @AmericaNewsroom to discuss #OperationCoasttoCoast—a multi-agency effort that just disrupted a $5B/year Chinese trafficking network. pic.twitter.com/arzFYmtqBO

— Safe House Project (@SafeHousePrjct) May 30, 2025

Operation Coast to Coast has been conducting similar coordinated enforcement actions since its launch earlier in 2024 and continues to operate with the aim of dismantling trafficking networks and protecting vulnerable victims nationwide.

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