FBI-led “Operation Cross Country” leads to identification/location of sex trafficking victims
KANSAS CITY, MO – The FBI, working with its state and local partners identified and located 200 victims of sex trafficking during a nationwide enforcement campaign, called “Operation Cross Country.”
The FBI-led nationwide initiative, in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), focused on identifying and locating victims of sex trafficking and investigating and arresting individuals and criminal enterprises involved in both child sex and human trafficking. Law enforcement agencies conducted targeted operations to identify and apprehend offenders, dismantling criminal networks and preventing further harm to victims. Those suspects identified will be subject to additional investigation for potential charges.
Locally, FBI agents from the Kansas City Field Office worked with law enforcement partners from:
Missouri State Highway Patrol
Kansas City, Missouri Police Department
Gladstone, Missouri Police Department
Joplin, Missouri Police Department
Springfield, Missouri Police Department
Overland Park, Kansas Police Department
Wichita, Kansas Police Department
Sedgwick County, Kansas Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit
Department of Homeland Security Investigations
Additionally, the Kansas Department for Children and Families provided services along with other non-governmental organizations. Throughout the operation, law enforcement identified and/or located four adolescent victims, three adult victims, and one individual was arrested on local charges during this three-day operation.
The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to combatting child exploitation and human trafficking. Operation Cross Country is just one facet of the Bureau’s ongoing efforts to protect the most vulnerable members of society and hold offenders accountable.The FBI encourages continued vigilance, cooperation, and reporting from the public to help identify and recover victims and bring perpetrators to justice.