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Law enforcement across the country rescued more than 200 sex trafficking victims, including 84 children, in a nationwide sweep dubbed "Operation Cross Country," the FBI announced Monday. The youngest victim was 11 years old.
Authorities located 84 victims of child sex trafficking, as well as 37 children that were actively missing during the campaign, the FBI said. Law enforcement officers also located 141 adult victims of human trafficking.
In 2021, more than half of all trafficking victims in the U.S. were minors, according to the Human Trafficking Institute. In a news release Monday, FBI Director Christopher Wray called sex trafficking "among the most heinous crimes" the agency encounters.
"Unfortunately, such crimes — against both adults and children — are far more common than most people realize," Wray said. "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."
"Operation Cross Country" represents just one coordinated campaign, as officials say the agency and its partners work to investigate and stop trafficking every day.
www.cbsnews.com
Authorities located 84 victims of child sex trafficking, as well as 37 children that were actively missing during the campaign, the FBI said. Law enforcement officers also located 141 adult victims of human trafficking.
In 2021, more than half of all trafficking victims in the U.S. were minors, according to the Human Trafficking Institute. In a news release Monday, FBI Director Christopher Wray called sex trafficking "among the most heinous crimes" the agency encounters.
"Unfortunately, such crimes — against both adults and children — are far more common than most people realize," Wray said. "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."
"Operation Cross Country" represents just one coordinated campaign, as officials say the agency and its partners work to investigate and stop trafficking every day.
FBI rescues more than 200 trafficking victims, including 84 children, in "Operation Cross Country"
More than 200 state, local and federal partners and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children conducted 391 operations over a two-week period in August.
www.cbsnews.com
