Forty-three percent of California’s known human trafficking cases occur in the Bay Area.

Human trafficking — the organized exploitation of human beings for profit through prostitution or involuntary labor — is "the world’s fastest-growing criminal enterprise," according to California Attorney General Kamala Harris.

Human trafficking — the organized criminal exploitation of human beings for profit by forcing them into prostitution or involuntary labor — is no stranger to Alameda County.

Human trafficking is perhaps the world’s fastest-growing criminal activity. It affects victims in 127 countries, including the United States. California is a major entry point for traffickers and their victims. About 80 percent of these victims are forced into commercial sex slavery; 17 percent are exploited for forced labor, often in homes and sweatshops.