The FBI found over 200 victims of trafficking in a nationwide sweep, according to a statement released on Aug. 1. Fifty-nine of the minors located were victims of sex trafficking, and another 59 were identified as missing children.

The sweep was part of the 13th iteration of Operation Cross Country, the agency’s annual two-week-long law enforcement push to capture child traffickers and free victims. While the FBI works throughout the year to confront trafficking, this initiative gives the issues more attention. (RELATED: VIDEO: Sound of Freedom: ‘God’s Children Are Not for Sale’)

“This operation, which located 59 actively missing children, builds on the tremendous work the FBI has undertaken over many years to rescue minor victims and arrest those responsible for these unspeakable crimes,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said.

To locate the children, the FBI partnered with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a private, non-profit corporation, that has helped in more than 400,000 missing child cases since 1984. 

According to the statement, the FBI’s Victim Services Division employed a team of child and adolescent forensic interviewers to work with victims to uncover evidence while remaining sensitive to the victims’ trauma. The agency worked with local law enforcement, including state and local police, in the nationwide crackdown to locate victims of sex trafficking. 

The FBI’s cross-country operation has worked to prevent and combat child trafficking since 2003. In 2022, the FBI located 141 adult and 41 child victims of human trafficking and arrested 84 alleged traffickers. 

Despite the FBI’s successes against child trafficking, more work remains. NCMEC received 17,200 reports of child trafficking in the U.S. and its territories in 2021. According to estimates, of the 356,000 missing children in the U.S., approximately 119,000 are victims of trafficking. 

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

Emma Verrigni is a rising sophomore at Hillsdale College studying history and journalism. A member of The American Spectator’s 2023 intern class, Emma enjoys reading philosophy and the news.

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