FBI rescued 200 sex-trafficking victims in nationwide July operation

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The US Federal Bureau of Investigation announced on August 1 that its agents rescued 200 victims of sex-trafficking during a nationwide operation conducted last month.

Led by the FBI, the operation was titled “Operation Cross Country,” and is conducted every year. It includes almost all FBI field offices and their respective state and local partners.

In a statement on its official page, the FBI reported that “more than five dozen suspected human traffickers and 126 individuals accused of child sexual exploitation and trafficking offenses” as part of this year’s operation. Moreover, the FBI said, agents “also located 59 minor victims of child sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, and another 59 children who had been reported missing.”

“Human trafficking is a grave violation of human rights that preys on the most vulnerable members of our society,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in the August 1 announcement. “The FBI’s actions against this threat never waver as we continue to send our message that these atrocities will not be tolerated.”

Regina Thompson, assistant director of the Victim Services Division, added: “Our victim specialists, victim service coordinators, child and adolescent forensic interviewers, and other victim service professionals work collaboratively with special agents to ensure a trauma-informed, victim-centered approach is taken when engaging with victims.This is especially important when engaging with victims of human trafficking as it is a very complex, traumatic crime.”

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