Two 18-year-old men are behind bars on high bail following a multi-agency investigation into the human trafficking of a 16-year-old girl across California, authorities announced.

Braden Groves of Turlock and Emilio Barrera of Patterson were arrested on Sept. 8 by detectives with the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Task Force. Both suspects face serious felony charges, including human trafficking of a minor and conspiracy to commit a crime.

The investigation began on Sept. 3, when task force detectives identified a 16-year-old victim originally from Anaheim, California. Investigators quickly linked the juvenile to Groves and Barrera, uncovering an operation that spanned multiple regions of the state.

According to law enforcement, Groves and Barrera made numerous trips to Southern California, Sacramento and several Bay Area cities—including Oakland. During these trips, the suspects allegedly trafficked the juvenile, as well as adult victims, for commercial sex in exchange for money.

The operation culminated in the early morning hours of Sept. 8, when detectives tracked Groves to an Oakland motel room. Groves was taken into custody, and the 16-year-old victim was safely recovered. She has since been released into the care of Child Protective Services.

Barrera was located and arrested later that same day in Turlock. During the course of the investigation and subsequent arrests, detectives seized more than $11,000 in cash.

Groves and Barrera are currently being held in custody, with bail set at $900,000 each.

The investigation is active and ongoing. Authorities are urging anyone with information related to this case or potential additional victims to contact Stanislaus County Area Crime Stoppers at 1-866-60-CRIME or submit a tip online at stancrimetips.org. Tipsters can remain anonymous.