Six men arrested in human trafficking sting in San Luis Obispo County

February 6, 2026

Esteban Ceja

By KAREN VELIE

As part of a human traffic sting in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, law enforcement arrested one man for human trafficking and five men for arranging to meet with a girl under 15 years old for sex in late January. Officers rescued three women, one of whom was underage.

San Luis Obispo County law enforcement arrested 30-year-old Esteban Ceja – an undocumented immigrant who was deported from the United States in 2018 and 2020 – for sexual trafficking of a victim using force and fear. He is also charged with two felony counts of pimping, two felony counts of pandering and one count of providing false identification.

Arrested for arranging to meet with a minor for sex in San Luis Obispo County:

• Gael Pita-Abarca – an 18-year-old recent Morro Bay High School graduate
• Stephan Mueller – a 62-year-olf man
• Singh Ashvir – a 22-year-old Cal Poly student

Arrested for arranging to meet with a minor for sex in Santa Barbara County:

• Gonzalo Luna-Penafort – a 22-year-old man
• Arturo Delon –a 39-year-old man

Law enforcement also rescued three female sex trafficking victims, two adults and one juvenile.

“Prostitution demand fuels a lucrative market that traffickers exploit with victims—including children—even here,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “Our local anti-trafficking operations target this commercial sex demand to curb daily exploitation of minors and adults. Warning to sex buyers: reconsider, as your actions heighten risks for ~300,000 American children annually. You can and will be prosecuted if caught.”