FBI sting rescues underage victims from sex trafficking

Four Arizona juveniles have been rescued from sex trafficking through the FBI’s Operation Cross Country XI, according to officials.

Seven alleged Arizona traffickers were arrested during the four-day nationwide effort that focused on underage human trafficking. Nationally, 84 minors were rescued and 120 suspected traffickers were arrested.

“This crime has no boundaries and can impact any child, of any race or ethnicity, anywhere from large cities to small-town communities,” said Michael Caputo, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI Phoenix field office.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and Phoenix Police Department helped rescue the four juveniles. In total, nine Arizona police departments and four sheriff’s offices were involved in the operation.

This is the 11th iteration of Operation Cross Country and involved 55 field offices and 78 local and state task forces.

As part of the operation, the FBI and task-force agents set up in hotels, casinos, truck stops, street corners and websites to try and rescue juveniles. The average age of victims was 15 years old and the youngest victim was 3 months old, the FBI reports.

Examples of stories the FBI released detail undercover agents being offered sexual favors from friends of a minor’s family or online advertisements. One agent was asked to pay $600.

Minors rescued in the operation are offered assistance from state protective services and the FBI’s Victim Services Division. Victims who require more attention are offered medical care and mental-health counseling.

The FBI said it contacted 86 adult victims in Arizona and offered resources.

Operation Cross Country began as part of the FBI’s Innocence Lost National Initiative, which was founded in 2003.