Multiple people facing charges in Arlington Co. following human trafficking operation

ARLINGTON, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - At least nine people are facing charges after a two-day human trafficking operation was conducted in Arlington County last week in an attempt to locate victims.

The operation, which was handled by the FBI Washington Field Office's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force as well as the Arlington Police Department's Criminal Investigations and Operations Sections, occurred on March 21 and 22 with the goal to find juveniles being exploited into the sex trade and to help raise awareness about sex trafficking in the community, according to a news release.

Investigators used a variety of methods to find classified ads advertising prostitution in the county. This led to the arrests of nine people who are facing several charges, including eight misdemeanors and two felony charges. Their names are listed below:

"Human trafficking is an issue facing communities throughout the country and the Arlington County Police Department is committed to thoroughly investigating all reported incidents," the news release says.

If you have information about a potential trafficking situation in Arlington County, call the Emergency Communications Center at 703-558-2222 or 9-1-1 in an emergency. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).