Nationwide Sex Trafficking Operation Rescues 141 Adults and 121 Minors

FBI agents and local authorities rescued 141 adult victims of human trafficking, 84 minor victims of child sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, and have identified 37 actively missing children during a two-week nationwide operation in August dubbed “Operation Cross Country.”

The average age of victims in similar operations is approximately 15 years old, while authorities said the youngest victim discovered during this operation was 11 years old.

“Human trafficking is among the most heinous crimes the FBI encounters,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement. “Unfortunately, such crimes—against both adults and children—are far more common than most people realize.”

Federal officials arrested 85 suspects of child sexual exploitation and human trafficking offenses as part of Operation Cross Country, which conducted 391 operations over two weeks. Teams included in the operation consist of FBI special agents, intelligence analysts, victim specialists, and child adolescent forensic interviewers working with 200 local, state, and federal partners.

Victim specialists provide a bridge for survivors who have lost trust in the system by helping them establish a positive relationship with law enforcement. (Read more from “Nationwide Sex Trafficking Operation Rescues 141 Adults and 121 Minors” HERE)

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