PHOENIX — Five minor victims of sex trafficking were rescued by the Phoenix FBI.
On Tuesday, FBI officials in the Phoenix office announced they identified and located five minor victims as part of a nationwide enforcement campaign, called 'Operation Cross Country.'
During the investigation, 31 people were arrested for attempting to have sexual contact with minors and one alleged trafficker was taken into custody.
The FBI's Greater Phoenix Area Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force (GPACEHTTF), which includes police officers from Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, and Tempe police departments conducted the operation.
"Sex traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. "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. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners across the country to prevent human trafficking; increase detection, investigation, and prosecution of human trafficking crimes; and expand support and services to protect and empower survivors."
The suspects arrested have not been identified and details of their arrest haven't been made public.
"Human traffickers prey on the most vulnerable members of our society, and their crimes scar victims—many of them children—for life. The FBI's commitment to combatting this threat will never waver, and we will continue to send our message that these atrocities will not be tolerated," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "This operation would not be possible without the commitment and collaboration from our state and local law enforcement partners, and it demonstrates our continued focus on actively pursuing the criminals responsible for these heinous violations and connecting those impacted with dedicated victim services and resources."
While Operation Cross Country is an annual national initiative, the GPACEHTTF works with the Phoenix Police Department's Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit on a regular basis throughout the year to combat this issue. With its leadership, the Phoenix Police HEAT Unit and the GPACEHTTF routinely collaborate with human trafficking units from law enforcement agencies across the greater Phoenix area on human trafficking operations, according to a statement from the FBI's Phoenix Office.
