Key facts
- Ten people have been arrested in Los Angeles for allegedly facilitating sex trafficking.
- The operation targeted approximately 51 underage girls and women.
- Suspects are allegedly members and associates of the South Los Angeles-based Hoover gang.
- Charges include acting as pimps, recruiting victims through false promises or violence, and profiting from the operation.
- A hotel manager is accused of pocketing over $64,000 and reserving rooms for the illegal activity.
- The Figueroa Corridor in Los Angeles has been a frequent target for law enforcement due to recurring sex trafficking activity.
Authorities have arrested ten individuals accused of facilitating a sex trafficking operation in Los Angeles, targeting approximately 51 underage girls and women. The operation, conducted along the Figueroa Corridor, involved members and associates of the South Los Angeles-based Hoover gang who allegedly acted as pimps.
Prosecutors stated that between February 2021 and June 2026, the suspects recruited minors and women, some of whom were runaways or foster children, with false promises of a better life or through violence, coercing them into sex work. One suspect, Cameron Lockett, 23, is accused of beating a victim and biting off a portion of her cheek in November 2024, then pressuring her to lie to police about the injuries. Another individual, Caleed Mouton, 26, allegedly arranged an abortion for an underage victim in July 2025 and ordered her to engage in sex work the same day.
Mukeshkumar Ahir, 45, the manager of Stadium Inn & Spas, has also been charged for allegedly pocketing over $64,000 from the operation and reserving rooms for the illegal activity. First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli expressed hope that the arrests would break the cycle of crime and abuse in the notorious trafficking corridor. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell stated their aim is to dismantle criminal enterprises profiting from human trafficking and reclaim the area for the community.
If convicted, the individuals face 15 years to life in prison. The Figueroa Corridor, a roughly 4-mile stretch, has been a consistent focus for law enforcement due to ongoing sex trafficking. Last year, 11 other individuals affiliated with the Hoover gang, including Amaya Armstead, described as its "de facto leader," were charged with sex trafficking crimes, with their trial set to begin next March. The article also notes that budget cuts in 2021 depleted LAPD resources for human trafficking, and the repeal of a bill allowing arrests for loitering for sex work, which proponents argued enabled discriminatory behavior, further hampered police efforts.