August 16, 2022
Cited article by Michael Roppolo, CBS News
HRRC condemns human trafficking and supports law enforcement operations worldwide to end the illegal and horrific industry. While Operation Cross Country led to the rescue of over 200 people from human trafficking in the United States, there still are countless others who are being trafficked and in desperate need of help.
Article Summary
The FBI announced that they conducted a nationwide sweep, referred to as Operation Cross Country, which resulted in the recovery of over 200 sex trafficking victims. Included in the rescued were 84 children, the youngest being 11 years old. In 2021, it was reported that over half of trafficking victims in the U.S. were minors.
While Operation Cross Country was a singular nationwide operation, in a two-week period in August, 391 operations were conducted by over 200 state, local, and federal partners, as well as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). As part of Operation Cross Country, 85 people were arrested for suspected child sexual exploitation and human trafficking.