FBI rescues over 200 sex trafficking victims including 59 missing children

The FBI rescued more than 200 sex trafficking victims and arrested more than five dozen individuals during a nationwide enforcement campaign last month, the agency said in a statement.

As part of “Operation Cross Country,” the FBI also found 59 victims of child sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, the statement added. 

Additionally, the agency identified or arrested 126 suspects of child sexual exploitation or human trafficking and 68 suspects of trafficking, the statement continued. 

The annual, two-week-long operation was the 13th iteration of the enforcement initiative, in which almost every FBI field office works with state and local police, as well as social services around the country, to find victims of human trafficking. 

The U.S. law enforcement agencies collaborated to identify traffickers, their networks, and their victims, says the FBI, whose victim specialists worked alongside local agencies to provide support and access to ensure its resources were available to federal crime victims.

One of those resources, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a private non-profit is a clearinghouse of information, partner in the initiative. It has assisted in more than 400,000 cases of missing children who were recovered since its founding in 1984.

“Human trafficking is a grave violation of human rights that preys on the most vulnerable members of our society,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said during the announcement of 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,” he added. 

Usually, local law enforcement agencies identify the traffickers, networks, and victims. Then, FBI specialists provide immediate support and access to resources to all federal crime victims. 

"Sex traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm," Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said. "We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners across the country to prevent human trafficking."

Operation Cross Country grew out of a 2003 FBI initiative that sought to identify and recover sexually exploited minors. To this day, the FBI and its partners continue to work and stop trafficking. 

“Behind every statistic, there is a person with dreams, aspirations, and the right to live a life free from child sex trafficking and exploitation,” said NCMEC President and CEO Michelle DeLaune. “We applaud the FBI and their partner law enforcement agencies for their unwavering dedication to protecting children.”