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By Miriam Raftery
August 16, 2022 (San Diego) – The FBI San Diego division today announced that it has located at least 17 potential human trafficking victims, including a minor, as part of the nationwide “Operation Cross Country XII” operation. The national FBI-led effort partnered with agencies across the U.S. to recover 141 adult and 84 minor victims of human trafficking, including 37 missing children; the youngest victim was 11 years old.
Agents and investigators also arrested 85 suspects for child sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
“This year’s operation emphasizes the FBI’s commitment to identifying and locating victims of human trafficking and bringing to justice those who seek to exploit them,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “We are proud to have worked alongside our law enforcement partners in our efforts against these horrific crimes. The FBI will continue to investigate all human trafficking, as we do each and every day, to ensure the victims receive the resources and assistance they need, and their traffickers are held accountable.”
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said, “The Justice Department is committed to doing everything in our power to combat the insidious crimes of human trafficking that devastate survivors and their families. I am grateful to the dedicated professionals of the FBI and our law enforcement partners across the country for their tireless work to rescue trafficking survivors, including exploited children, to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of trafficking crimes, and to provide the services and support that survivors need and deserve.”
As part of Operation Cross Country XII, FBI special agents, intelligence analysts, victim specialists, and child adolescent forensic Interviewers working in conjunction with over 200 state, local, and federal partners and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) conducted operations over the two-week period.
Locally, that includes the San Diego County Sheriff, police departments in San Diego, Escondido, National City, and Chula Vista, Homeland Security, the California Dept. of Justice, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, San Diego Unified School District’s police department, and the San Diego County Child Welfare Services, Health & Human Services Agency.
F.B.I. Director Christopher Wray concluded, "Human trafficking is among the most heinous crimes the FBI encounters. Unfortunately, such crimes—against both adults and children—are far more common than most people realize. As we did in this operation, the FBI and our partners will continue to find and arrest traffickers, identifyand help victims, and raise awareness of the exploitation of our most vulnerable populations.”
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