US: Anti-trafficking operation leads to recovery of 33 children, one person arrested

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in association with multiple state and federal law enforcement agencies rescued 33 children, who have been or were suspected of being sexually exploited and trafficked. The FBI launched 'Operation Lost Angels' on January 11 and worked with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and more than two dozen law enforcement and non-governmental partners to recover these children. The United States marks January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

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The FBI in a press release said that of the 33 children, eight were being sexually exploited at the time of recovery. FBI added that two children were recovered multiple times during the operation from 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. This harmful cycle highlights the challenges victims face and those faced by law enforcement when attempting to keep victims from returning to an abusive situation. Victims may not self-identify as being trafficked or may not even realize they’re being trafficked," the FBI said in a statement. 

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One person arrested

Several victims rescued were either sexually exploited in the past and were considered vulnerable before their recovery. Some of the children were arrested for violating their probation, robbery, or other charges. Meanwhile, one child was a victim of a noncustodial parental kidnapping. The FBI said one person was arrested on state charges of sex trafficking. The federal agency has opened multiple investigations after the operation. 

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FBI says that its caseload for both labour trafficking and sex trafficking has increased in the past several years. As of November 2020, the FBI has more than 1,800 pending trafficking investigations, including those involving minors exploited through commercial sex trafficking. In 2020 alone, the FBI initiated 664 human trafficking cases and arrested 472 traffickers.

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