LAPD-led Operation Firewall nets 341 arrests in child exploitation sweep

More than 300 suspects have been arrested in a sweeping multi-agency crackdown on child exploitation crimes in Southern California, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) announced Thursday.

The massive enforcement effort, called “Operation Firewall,” targeted a wide range of internet-facilitated crimes, including child pornography, human trafficking, grooming, and attempts to lure minors into illicit encounters.

The two-week operation, which lasted from April 19 to May 3, covered five counties and brought together 112 law enforcement partners, officials said. This effort was led by the LAPD Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program.

Authorities said that a total of 341 people were arrested and 40 children were rescued during the operation.

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“Operation Firewall is designed to detect and capture predators who use the Internet to facilitate the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, as well as to identify and rescue these children from their abusers,” the LAPD said. he said.

Police said investigators conducted undercover operations on multiple social media platforms and subsequently executed multiple search and arrest warrants.

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An arrest resulted in a 45-year prison sentence for Daniel Navarro, 42, who allegedly groomed two girls on Instagram and trafficked one to Mexico. He allegedly pretended to be a young boy and football player to seduce his victims.

More than 150,000 illegal images were uncovered following a Fox 11 Los Angeles investigation into a Long Beach resident suspected of producing child sexual abuse material. in question.

Authorities said the charges cover a wide range of crimes, including the production, possession and distribution of child sexual exploitation materials; immoral behavior towards a child; communicating with a minor for sexual purposes; human trafficking; failure to register as a convicted sex offender; and violations of conditions of parole and probation.

Most of the victims were reportedly reunited with their families or placed under the care of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

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Officers working “Operation Firewall” leave a press conference at LAPD Headquarters in Los Angeles on May 21, 2026. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Law enforcement leaders used the operation to issue a clear warning to parents about the dangers of online grooming, saying predators target children through digital platforms rather than in person.

“Get your kids off the internet. Nothing good comes out of it. A lot of the abuse we see today, they don’t meet these people in the park or on the street. They meet your kids and they educate them online,” said Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, according to Fox 11.

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Police officers handcuff a man on February 23, 2026. (image alliance via Jens Kalaene/Getty Images)

“If you were a parent, you would never physically take your child into a room and leave him alone with a predator or pedophile. But every day parents give their children electronic devices that give them digital access to online gaming platforms or digital chat rooms… My message to parents is that the Fourth Amendment does not apply to you. Take your children’s belongings,” added Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes.

Fox 11 said authorities also pointed to the infamous “764” group, described as an online nihilistic, violent extremist network that targets vulnerable minors online and coerces them into self-harm and sexually explicit content.