Four human trafficking victims in Wisconsin were recovered and eight individuals were arrested in August during a nationwide FBI sex trafficking operation.
FBI Milwaukee partnered with Wisconsin law enforcement agencies in a nationwide enforcement campaign "Operation Cross Country." During two weeks this month, the nationwide operation located 84 minor victims of child sex trafficking and child sexual exploitation offenses and located 37 actively missing children.
The FBI and its partners also found 141 adult victims of human trafficking across the nation, the FBI said. Eighty-five suspects with child sexual exploitation and human trafficking offenses were also identified or arrested. The FBI says the suspects will be investigated for potential charges.
The average age of victims recovered during this year's operation was 15.5, and the youngest victim was 11 years old.
“Human trafficking is among the most heinous crimes the FBI encounters,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Unfortunately, such crimes—against both adults and children—are far more common than most people realize. As we did in this operation, the FBI and our partners will continue to find and arrest traffickers, identify and help victims, and raise awareness of the exploitation of our most vulnerable populations.”
FBI Milwaukee agents partnered with the following law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin: Burlington Police Department, Caledonia Police Department, Glendale Police Department, Grand Chute Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Intel Support, Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Milwaukee Police Department – Intel Support, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Oak Creek Police Department, Oshkosh Police Department, Racine County Sheriff’s Office, Racine Police Department, Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Office, Sturtevant Police Department, and Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
Operation Cross County XII conducted 391 operations in the country over a two-week period, FBI says.
