Collaborative National Operation Targeted Sex Traffickers, Recovery of Minors

In a press release this week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced that its “Operation Cross Country” initiative helped locate more than 200 victims of human trafficking and related crimes in the first two weeks of August.

The ongoing operation is an annual and coordinated effort between the FBI special agents, intelligence analysts, victim specialists, and child adolescent forensic interviewers, in conjunction with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and over 200 state, local, and federal partners.

Across 391 operations in the two-week period, authorities located 84 victims of child sex trafficking during the campaign, 37 missing children, and 141 adult victims of human trafficking. In this year's operation, the youngest victim was 11 years old, and the average age was 15.5 years.

Among the most heinous crimes the FBI encounters is sex trafficking, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray. 

“Human trafficking is among the most heinous crimes the FBI encounters,” said Director Wray. “Unfortunately, such crimes—against both adults and children—are far more common than most people realize. As we did in this operation, the FBI and our partners will continue to find and arrest traffickers, identify, and help victims, and raise awareness of the exploitation of our most vulnerable populations.”

NCMEC President Michelle DeLaune added that this national operation underscores the importance of maintaining a focus on preventing children and youth from being targeted.

“The success of Operation Cross County reinforces what NCMEC sees every day. Children are being bought and sold for sex in communities across the country by traffickers, gangs, and even family members,” said DeLaune.

In the operation's twelfth iteration, the FBI expanded their investigations to include sex offenders who may be eligible for federal charges and individuals seeking to connect with children online to attempt exploitation.

“With the advent of social media, access to mobile devices and technology," stated an unidentified Special Agent. "They’re out there in the neighborhoods not being monitored and we don’t know if they’re going to have access to these communication devices to continue to exploit children online or have inappropriate physical contact with children.”