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Sheriff’s Office Arrests Alleged Bridgeville Cultivator on Human Trafficking Charges Following Tip From the Mexican Consulate

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A man accused of human trafficking on a remote cannabis property northeast of Bridgeville was charged by the District Attorney’s office Thursday — a case where the Mexican Consulate got involved and a swift water rescue team was used to locate the victim.

The Humboldt County District Attorney’s office charged 45-year-old Georgi Tonev with human trafficking, a felony. Tonev, a Bridgeville resident, has pleaded not guilty and remains incarcerated on a $465,000 bail, according to court records.

Tonev was arrested Mar. 10 by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office as part of an investigation triggered by a call from the San Francisco Mexican Consulate.

The trafficking victim contacted the Mexican Consulate directly, and “reported they were working on a cannabis cultivation site and had been left stranded alone on the property without food and without payment of owed wages,” HCSO said.

 A regional law enforcement anti-trafficking group that assisted the survivor said consulates reaching out on behalf of trafficking victims is quite rare.

“This is the first time in our experience that the Mexican Consulate has been involved in a local case,” said Summer Hansen, a spokesperson for the Northern California Coalition to Safeguard Communities.

She said this shows trafficking victims are being moved across long distances and end up in remote places.

According to the HCSO press release, the investigation began after the call Feb. 20 and involved search warrants on three properties, including the state-licensed cannabis cultivation site where the victim was found. A swift water rescue team was used to bring the victim across a flooded road, after deputies were unable to make contact earlier due to “environmental conditions and significant flooding in the area.”

Hansen said the survivor’s safety remains their top priority, regardless of the arrest, and the organization will continue to stay in touch and monitor their well being as the case unfolds.

“The survivor was immediately provided with food, water, and a room at a nearby hotel until permanent accommodations could be arranged in the area of their choosing,” said Hansen.

Tonev’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 25, according to court records.

HCSO said the investigation remains ongoing, and asks those with information about the case to contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.  Suspected trafficking can also be reported to NCCSC tip line at (707) 441-3031.