LAS VEGAS — FBI agents rescued 14 minors in Las Vegas as part of a national sex trafficking sweep in July known as Operation Independence Day.
Authorities also arrested 33 trafficking suspects in Las Vegas, according to a statement from the FBI released Tuesday.
In all, 103 children were identified or rescued in the initiative and 67 suspected traffickers were arrested. Of the FBI's 56 field offices, 33 of them recovered victims. Las Vegas led the offices with 14 minors rescued. Dallas came in second with 13 victims, followed by Atlanta with six victims.
FBI officials worked with the National Center for Missing an Exploited Children to carry out the initiative.
“The FBI is fiercely focused on recovering child victims and arresting the sex traffickers who exploit them,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement. “Through operations like this, the FBI helps child victims escape the abusive life of sex trafficking.”
Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/EFVVU3PA45C7HMMCQW6MXQJO5U.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/ZQPB27CG2ZD7VLYRXP6BBKYYCM.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/6S2FIBBJXFA7PDNTEU34BKJFTM.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/K7JNNGTNDFBURCR5YTN4H5KOCA.jpeg)