“Operation Lost Angels,” the FBI recovered 33 missing children,
eight of whom had been sexually exploited, the agency said.
For the operation, which began Jan. 11, the FBI worked with more than two dozen law enforcement and non-governmental partners
“to identify, locate, and recover missing children, particularly those who have been or were suspected of being sexually exploited and/or trafficked.”
Of the underage victims recovered, eight were being sexually exploited at the time of recovery, the agency said in a statement, as part of Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
“Two were recovered multiple times during the operation while on the ‘track,’ a common term used to describe a known location for commercial sex trafficking. It is not uncommon for victims who are rescued to return to commercial sex trafficking either voluntarily or by force, fraud, or coercion,” it said.
COMMENTARY
Each month, about 374 girls are sex trafficked in Georgia. The average victim is just over 14 years old. This heinous industry affects every community in our state, regardless of age, race, or gender, and through strategic partnerships, we are taking action to end it once and for all.
In February 2019, my husband, Governor Brian Kemp, signed an Executive Order, creating the Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion, and Education (GRACE) Commission. Comprised of public officials, law enforcement, for profit and non-profit organizations, faith-based institutions, and subject matter experts, this commission set out to tackle human trafficking, seek justice for victims, and hold bad actors accountable.
Human trafficking | Reuters
During a human trafficking investigation in California, called “Operation Lost Angels,” the FBI recovered 33 missing children, eight of whom had been sexually exploited, the agency said.
For the operation, which began Jan. 11, the FBI worked with more than two dozen law enforcement and non-governmental partners “to identify, locate, and recover missing children, particularly those who have been or were suspected of being sexually exploited and/or trafficked.”
Of the underage victims recovered, eight were being sexually exploited at the time of recovery, the agency said in a statement, as part of Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
“Two were recovered multiple times during the operation while on the ‘track,’ a common term used to describe a known location for commercial sex trafficking. It is not uncommon for victims who are rescued to return to commercial sex trafficking either voluntarily or by force, fraud, or coercion,” it said.
| Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Thirty-three children have been rescued in Southern California after a massive anti-human trafficking law enforcement operation.
The operation, dubbed Operation Lost Angels, involved dozens of law enforcement agencies including the Los Angeles County Sheriff s Department, the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department. Get push notifications with news, features and more. + Follow
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The operation began on Jan. 11 with a goal to to identify, locate, and recover missing children, particularly those who have been or were suspected of being sexually exploited and/or trafficked, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff s Department press release.