More Than 200 Sex Trafficking Victims Discovered in Nationwide FBI Operation

In a 14-day nationwide child exploitation and human trafficking operation conducted by FBI agents in July, more than 200 sex trafficking victims were rescued.

The extensive enforcement campaign, known as Operation Cross Country, also led to the identification or arrest of 126 suspects involved in child sexual exploitation and human trafficking offenses, with an additional 68 suspects linked to trafficking being identified or apprehended, according to a statement from the agency.

The scope of Operation Cross Country was vast, involving nearly every FBI field office, various federal agencies, state and local police, as well as social services agencies across the country.

During the operation, 59 minor victims of child sex trafficking and sexual exploitation were located, along with 59 children who had been previously reported missing.

“Human trafficking is a grave violation of human rights that preys on the most vulnerable members of our society,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement announcing the arrests and recoveries.

“The FBI’s actions against this threat never waver as we continue to send our message that these atrocities will not be tolerated.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland also commended the ongoing efforts of the FBI and highlighted the significance of Operation Cross Country, now in its 13th year.

He emphasized the critical importance of rescuing minor victims and holding those responsible for such unspeakable crimes accountable.

“Sex traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm,” he said.

“We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners across the country to prevent human trafficking; increase detection, investigation, and prosecution of human trafficking crimes; and expand support and services to protect and empower survivors.”

The initiative was undertaken in collaboration with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a child protection organization. NCMEC reported that in 2022 alone, they received more than 19,000 reports of potential child sex trafficking.

Additionally, they noted that approximately one in six of the more than 25,000 cases of missing children reported in 2022 were likely linked to child sex trafficking.

Republican lawmakers have raised concerns about the impact of the immigration crisis at the U.S.–Mexico border on child trafficking in the United States.

A whistleblower who testified before congressional lawmakers claimed that the U.S. federal government, knowingly or unknowingly, had become involved in a large-scale child trafficking operation facilitated by bad actors seeking to profit from exploiting vulnerable children at the southern border.

According to the Federal Human Trafficking 2022 report (pdf), 85 percent of foreign national victims in federal human trafficking cases filed in 2022 were trafficked into the United States.

Among these cases, 69 percent involved sex trafficking, and 15 percent were related to forced labor.

“The victims discovered during July’s two-week operation were provided with emergency food and clothing, transportation to receive emergency services, and help locating shelter or housing as well as crisis intervention,” the FBI stated.

FBI Director Christopher Wray underscored the critical role played by state and local law enforcement partners in making such operations possible.

“This operation would not be possible without the commitment and collaboration from our state and local law enforcement partners, and it demonstrates our continued focus on actively pursuing the criminals responsible for these heinous violations and connecting those impacted with dedicated victim services and resources,” he added.

Operation Cross Country XI specifically targeted “pimps” running human trafficking rings. “We at the FBI have no greater mission than to protect our nation’s children from harm.

Unfortunately, the number of traffickers arrested — and the number of children recovered — reinforces why we need to continue to do this important work,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.

“This operation isn’t just about taking traffickers off the street. It’s about making sure we offer help and a way out to these young victims who find themselves caught in a vicious cycle of abuse.”

The sting is part of the Innocence Lost National Initiative, which was established in 2003 and has successfully identified and rescued over 6,500 children to date.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, the focus was placed on pimps involved in trafficking minors, with the FBI emphasizing that those who force or coerce adults into prostitution are also committing acts of human trafficking.

Operation Cross Country is a great example of law enforcement efforts to combat human trafficking, rescue victims, and bring perpetrators to justice, ultimately providing a pathway to healing for survivors of these heinous crimes.

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NBC News