Imperial County, California is home to approximately 180,000 individuals. The county is located in the Southern region of the state, sharing a border with Mexico to the South and Arizona to the East. Due to its location, the culture in Imperial County is heavily influenced by Mexico, and a majority of its citizens are Hispanic. The county is also home to a portion of the Imperial Valley, which falls on both sides of the border.

In 2014, law enforcement from Imperial County took part in a nationwide operation that targeted gang affiliated crime. Ultimately 26 individuals were indicted in Southern California on a multitude of charges. Across the nation, 683 people were arrested with over two-thirds being related to a particular gang. The gang in question was known for facilitating the trafficking of drugs and humans, in addition to running prostitution rings across the country. The previous year, two members of the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office were arrested for various crimes. One of the individuals in question was taken into custody for allegedly using his position to coerce individuals to engage in sexual activities with him. The names and work history of both of the aforementioned officers were released to the public.

To combat the prevalent issue of prostitution and trafficking in Southern California, 15 different law enforcement agencies teamed up to create the San Diego Violent Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force. Individuals from Imperial County also comprised a portion of the task force. In addition to conducting operations, the organization also held summits for key groups in California to improve education and chart a course of action. In 2017, a former high school teacher was arrested during a web-based reverse sting. The offender was caught trying to meet a 14-year-old girl he had contacted online through the popular website Craigslist. The sting was conducted by the Imperial Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The man, while being held in the Imperial County Jail, had his information released to the public. Later in 2017, the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office released their data pertaining to their 10 month long investigation. Operation Safe Zone, as it was named, was conducted between February and November. The sting led to the arrests of 50 adult men, all of whom were attempting to groom and meet children for the purpose of sexual relations.