EDITOR’S NOTE: As Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta approached, Patch devoted exclusive coverage to the issue of human trafficking as it related to one of the world’s biggest sporting events. Patch remains committed to covering this international plague with our continuing focus on local efforts to combat the crime.
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ATLANTA — A monthlong FBI-led operation identifying and arresting sex traffickers and recovering child victims has resulted in dozens of arrests across the country, including Atlanta, and the rescue of more than 100 juveniles. Operation Independence Day ran during the month of July, and relied on more than 400 law enforcement agencies working on FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces in each of the bureau’s 56 field offices, including Atlanta.
The sweep included undercover operations and has led to the opening of five dozen federal criminal investigations. The FBI worked with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to identify young runaways, missing kids, and juveniles who may have been subjected to human trafficking.
In all, 103 juveniles were identified or recovered and 67 suspected traffickers were arrested. The sweep resulted in 60 new federal investigations.
“The FBI is fiercely focused on recovering child victims and arresting the sex traffickers who exploit them,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement. “Through operations like this, the FBI helps child victims escape the abusive life of sex trafficking.”
In past years, the FBI initiated weeklong coordinated nationwide sweeps under the name Operation Cross Country to arrest traffickers and recover underage victims. This year, FBI field offices had a longer time window to plan and execute operations as part of the national initiative, with the goal being to develop richer leads and intelligence, and more robust cases.