The FBI located 200 victims of sex trafficking as part of an enforcement campaign that was conducted alongside its local and state partners and arrested or identified 126 suspects of child sexual exploitation and human trafficking offenses.
Known as Operation Cross Country, the effort was a two-week-long campaign carried out last month by the FBI in partnership with law enforcement agencies and organizations like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
According to an FBI press release from earlier this month, an additional 68 individuals suspected of trafficking were identified or arrested, and the FBI and its partners also located 59 minor victims of sex trafficking or sexual exploitation.
“Human traffickers prey on the most vulnerable members of our society, and their crimes scar victims—many of them children—for life,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement. “The FBI’s commitment to combatting this threat will never waver, and we will continue to send our message that these atrocities will not be tolerated.”
“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.”
During the operation, law enforcement agencies helped to identify and arrest offenders while victim specialists addressed the needs of the trafficking victims, including shelter and emergency services.
“Behind every statistic, there is a person with dreams, aspirations, and the right to live a life free from child sex trafficking and exploitation,” NCMEC President and CEO Michelle DeLaune said in a statement.
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