Law enforcement in the East Bay along with the FBI today announced nine arrests as part of a national, two-week sweep focused on human trafficking. Their campaign dubbed “Operation Cross Country,” which began over a decade ago in the Bay Area and has since gone national, successfully identified and located 21 local victims of sex trafficking according to the FBI.
The suspects have not been publicly named, and at a press conference Wednesday, Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said that charges were still forthcoming.
9 suspects arrested, 17 human trafficking survivors, incl. some juveniles, rescued across the Bay Area as part of nationwide Operation Cross Country, per @ContraCostaDA @DADianaBecton @FBISanFrancisco pic.twitter.com/M01kRi1UJ7
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) August 2, 2023
This far-reaching initiative, carried out in conjunction with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), targeted individuals and criminal enterprises deeply rooted in sex trafficking. The result: a vast law enforcement network dedicated to bringing justice to these heinous crimes, and to those who perpetrate them. With collaborative investigations and arrests, Operation Cross Country aims to dismantle criminal networks and prevent further harm to victims, with suspects being subject to additional investigation for potential charges.
Over the course of two weeks in July, FBI agents from the San Francisco Division spearheaded 17 operations across the Bay Area, working in unison with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. These diligent efforts led to the recovery of three adolescent victims and the identification of another. Moreover, 17 adult victims were located, nine suspects were arrested, and three firearms were recovered.
The wide-ranging task force, including the San Jose Police Department, Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NCRIC), Department of State, and the Contra Costa County Probation Department among many others, all lent their expertise to the cause. Several agencies, such as Community Solutions and the International Rescue Committee, provided vital assistance to victims with services from the FBI’s Victim Specialists.
As NBC News reports, across the country, 59 missing children were found as a result of the operation, and 68 trafficking suspects were taken into custody.
Fighting child exploitation and human trafficking remains a top priority for the FBI, the agency says, with Operation Cross Country being a key component of the agency's larger mission to protect the most vulnerable members of society.
