The FBI recovered more than 200 sex trafficking survivors during a nationwide operation during the first two weeks of August.
Operation Cross Country is a coordinated effort among the FBI, other federal agencies, state and local police, social services agencies, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The goal is to find and assist victims of human trafficking, particularly children.
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During the operation, the FBI identified and located 84 children who were victims of human trafficking and located 37 actively missing children. The FBI also located 141 adult victims of human trafficking. The FBI said 85 suspects were identified or arrested for child sexual exploitation and human trafficking offenses.
Operation Cross Country 2022 Statistics
- Minor victims located: 84
- Missing children located: 37
- Adult victims located: 141
- Nationwide operations conducted: 391
Read: Documentary sheds light on horrors of human trafficking in Michigan, aims to spark change
“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 Michelle DeLaune, President and CEO National Center for Missing & Exploited Children “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 wellbeing of children and youth to prevent them from being targeted in the first place.”
The youngest victim was 11 years old. The average age during this year’s operation was 15.5 years old. The FBI works with victim specialists to help victims find services to rebuild their lives.
“The initiative really just takes a concentrated period of time where we’re just focused on the problem of child sex trafficking,” said Section Chief Jose Perez, who oversees violent crime investigations in the FBI. “What we do is we sit down with our local partners and our task forces and identify certain areas where we know sex trafficking is prevalent, and we’ll dedicate resources and efforts to identify and remove victims from those areas.”
This year, the FBI expanded the operation to investigate sex offenders who may be eligible for federal charges and people trying to connect with children online to abuse them.
“With the advent of social media, access to mobile devices and technology ... they’re out there in the neighborhoods not being monitored,” Special Agent Sam said. “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.”
Read: Michigan women who survived human trafficking seek pardons for crimes they say were justified
Support for human trafficking survivors
- Leveraging the Law to Empower the Enslaved - The Joseph Project: The Joseph Project is a nonprofit organization that connects human trafficking survivors with pro bono legal services. It is inspired by the Biblical account of history’s earliest recorded survivor, who transitioned from exploitation to empowerment (Genesis 37-50).
- Sacred Beginnings - Boldly declaring freedom: Supporting victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in Grand Rapids, Michigan and beyond.
- If you suspect that any child or adult is a victim, or is at risk of becoming a victim, call 855-444-3911 any time day or night. If the individual is in imminent danger, immediately call 911. Click here to learn more about human trafficking from the State of Michigan.