Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies arrested 14 people and recovered 10 potential victims in a human trafficking sting over the weekend at San Diego Comic-Con , according to a news release shared Tuesday by California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D).

Unfortunately, sex traffickers capitalize on large-scale events such as Comic-Con to exploit their victims for profit, said Bonta in an accompanying statement . These arrests send a clear message to potential offenders that their criminal behavior will not be tolerated.

The three-day operation beginning July 25 saw undercover law enforcement pose as sex buyers to identify and contact potential victims to arrest their traffickers, per the statement. Authorities also tried to draw buyers out with undercover advertisements soliciting sex.

The joint investigation at Comic-Con, the annual comic book and pop culture convention that attracts more than 100,000 fans each year, led to the recovery of nine adult potential victims and one 16-year-old, according to Tuesdays news release.

The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force spearheaded the efforts, which also involved personnel from the Department of Justice, FBI , Homeland Security Investigations, California Highway Patrol, the San Diego County Sheriffs Department and numerous others.