Six local men arrested in statewide sex trafficking operation bust
Ceja, GonzaloLunaPenafort, and Pitaabarca.
Three victims rescued in SLO, Santa Barbara counties
– The San Luis Obispo County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force participated in a statewide operation in January 2026 aimed at combating human trafficking in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
The effort, known as Operation Reclaim and Rebuild, involved coordinated enforcement activity across California.
Multiple agencies participated locally, including investigators from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Unit, Special Victim’s Unit, and Major Crimes Unit; DeliverFund; the California Highway Patrol Investigative Services Unit; the Federal Bureau of Investigation Santa Maria Field Office; the Santa Maria Police Department; the San Luis Obispo County Probation Department; the Grover Beach Police Department; the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Bureau of Investigations and its 3CFL unit; and the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Christopher G. Money Victim Witness Assistance Center.
Over the course of the operation, investigators made six arrests and rescued three female victims of sex trafficking in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Two of the victims were adults, and one was a juvenile under the age of 18.
Mueller, Singh, and Deleon.
Esteban Ceja, 30, of San Diego, was arrested on charges of human trafficking, two counts of pimping, two counts of procuring another person for prostitution, and false representation to a peace officer.
Gael Pitaabarca, 18, of Paso Robles, was arrested on a charge of meeting with a minor for lewd purposes.
Stephan Mueller, 62, of Los Osos, was arrested on charges of meeting with a minor for lewd purposes and contact with a minor for a sexual offense.
Singh Ashvir, 22, of San Luis Obispo, was arrested on a charge of meeting with a minor for lewd purposes.
Gonzalo Luna-Penafort, 22, of Santa Maria, was arrested on a charge of meeting with a minor for lewd purposes in Santa Barbara County.
Arturo Deleon, 39, of Santa Maria, was arrested on a charge of meeting with a minor for lewd purposes in Santa Barbara County.
