In August, the Federal Bureau of Investigations conducted Operation Cross Country, a human-trafficking rescue operation that saved more than 80 children and 140 adults nationwide. A substantial component of the operation was carried out in Texas.
"Human trafficking is among the most heinous crimes the FBI encounters," FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a news release. "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."
According to the FBI, the average age of trafficking victims discovered during the operation was 15.5 years old. The youngest identified victim was 11.
In an official statement, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland asserted, “the Justice Department is committed to doing everything in our power to combat the insidious crimes of human trafficking that devastate survivors and their families. I am grateful to the dedicated professionals of the FBI and our law enforcement partners across the country for their tireless work to rescue trafficking survivors, including exploited children, to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of trafficking crimes, and to provide the services and support that survivors need and deserve.”
Michelle DeLaune, president and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, recently said, “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. We’re proud to support the FBI’s efforts to prioritize the safety of children. This national operation highlights the need for all child-serving professionals to continue to focus on the well-being of children and youth to prevent them from being targeted in the first place.”
According to a report from the University of Texas at Austin, there are 78,996 minor and youth victims of human trafficking, and 234,457 victims of labor trafficking in Texas, totaling 313,453 victims of human trafficking.
