70 Children Rescued From Sex Traffickers in Multi-State Operation

Law enforcement officers carry out "Operation Not Forgotten," a missing child mission led by the US Marshals and other agencies, in Georgia in August 2020. Shane T. McCoy/US Marshals/CC BY 2.0

After a three week operation involving multiple agencies, law enforcement officers managed to locate and recover 70 missing children, most of them in West Texas, according to a May 25 news release by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The missing children and teens, many of whom were runaways, ranged in age from 10 to 17 years old and were victims of sex trafficking and physical and sexual abuse. Headed by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, and assisted by numerous other federal, state, and local agencies, “Operation Lost Souls” ran from the end of April through mid-May El Paso, Texas, and the Texas counties of Midland, Ector, and Tom Green.

Although a majority of the children were located in West Texas, a few were also recovered from the Dallas–Fort Worth area, the state of Colorado, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Results of the operation were published on May 25, which is National Missing Children’s Day.

“HSI is committed to continue working with our law enforcement partners to locate, recover and help missing children heal, while ensuring that perpetrators are held responsible for these heinous crimes and brought to justice,” said Taekuk Cho, HSI El Paso’s deputy special agent in charge.

The agencies have provided victim services and counseling to the recovered children and their families.

The ICE announcement follows the capturing and charging of eight individuals connected with the alleged trafficking and exploitation of a 15-year-old girl from a Dallas Mavericks game at the American Airlines Center arena in Dallas on April 8.

The girl went missing after she separated from her father to use the bathroom. Later on, she was seen leaving the arena with an unknown man.

A few days later, the Texas Counter-Trafficking Initiative found the girl’s photos on a website associated with prostitution. She was rescued April 18 when authorities located her at an Extended Stay America hotel in Oklahoma City.

“We are thankful for the work of the Oklahoma City Police Department and the recovery of our daughter. My heart breaks for the unimaginable things my daughter had to endure for the 11 days she was taken, and I am so glad she is safe as we work toward her recovery,” the girl’s mother said in a May 5 statement, according to multiple media outlets.

Upon her disappearance from the arena, the father of the girl was instructed to return back home. According to Texas law, in the absence of evidence of kidnapping, missing children are registered as runaways.

Despite pleas from the father, the Dallas Police Department refused to open an investigation into the matter, according to Zeke Fortenberry, the family’s attorney.

“The systems and organizations involved in this case continually failed the victim. She should never have had contact with the man at the Mavericks game,” Fortenberry said, according to Fox News. “This victim’s life will forever be changed.”

Due to the nature of the investigation, further information regarding the 70 recovered children has not been released by the HSI.

Anyone with relevant information on this type of criminal activity can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888.