Human trafficking suspects arrested

This morning, 48 people under arrest in a major human trafficking bust in San Diego and National City, California. These victims are not just numbers in immediate briefing. Many of them are children. Police releasing video from the month long investigation dubbed Operation Pathway. We counted probably at least 10 girls out here. What's up? I get both of you. It's gonna stop there.

150 each. Was that give me full service? Scantily clad women and girls seen openly soliciting for prostitution. Some in broad daylight. Human beings like they are products, products with hardly any clothing on lines of cars like this is some kind of buying a hamburger at a 24 seven place. Officials say they rescued eight women being trafficked and eight girls, including a runaway from Arizona. Some teenagers in our community, some as young as 13 year old, 13 years old are being sold as sex slaves. They're innocent, stolen.

Human trafficking is a growing problem nationwide, often impacting the most vulnerable, happening more in areas with international travel hubs and large immigrant populations. The number of people prosecuted increased by 84% in the last decade. The highest number of cases in California, Texas, Florida, New York and Ohio. Human trafficking does not require movement across borders. Trafficking is about using fraud or force or coercion to exploit someone for labor or for sex. Officials say in this case, some of the men used physical violence, sexual abuse and guns to force those victims into prostitution, but they stress that trafficking can come in many forms, including forced labor. Hi, everyone, George Stephanopoulos here.

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