In a joint effort by federal and local authorities in Memphis, 13 missing children have been rescued, identified as at risk of human trafficking.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), working alongside the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Memphis Police Department, and Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, executed a two-day operation named “Operation Not for Sale” with a focus on identifying and safeguarding children vulnerable to trafficking.

Dr. John DeGarmo, founder, and director of the Foster Care Institute, shed light on the conditions that put children at risk of trafficking.

Often emerging from broken homes or foster care, these children may seek love and care elsewhere, making them susceptible to the wiles of predators who promise them a better life.

Law enforcement agencies employ various methods to identify these vulnerable children, such as tracking families with histories of domestic violence or sexual abuse, recognizing unique tattoos or bands, or noticing sudden changes in attire.

Disturbingly, in 2021, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received over 17,200 reports of child sex trafficking from across the United States, accompanied by 25,000 reports of runaway children, one in six of whom is likely to fall prey to human trafficking.

According to Dr. DeGarmo, this grim reality is “America’s ugly secret.”

RELATED: Biden Administration Quietly Removes Child Sex Trafficking Content from DOJ Website

Before “Operation Not for Sale,” intelligence analysts pinpointed children at high risk of trafficking.

From November 2 to 3, six search teams scoured 56 different locations, successfully locating 12 juvenile victims aged 11 to 17 years old and a vulnerable 2-month-old infant.

U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Tennessee, Tyreece Miller, expressed gratitude for the collaboration among agencies, emphasizing the importance of these efforts to locate missing children.

HSI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ross “Clint” Cannon emphasized the importance of a unified approach in Western Tennessee.

TBI estimates that between 500 and 600 children go missing every month in Tennessee, highlighting the urgency of these operations.

RELATED” Disney Employees, School Coach Among 219 Snared in Sweeping Florida Trafficking Sting