Federal and local authorities teamed up in a massive effort to rescue more than 30 missing children and uncover multiple trafficking operations during a coordinated crackdown across Texas.
They called the joint effort "Operation Lightning Bug," and it involved teams from the U.S. Marshals Service and the San Antonio Police Department's Missing Persons Unit, Special Victims Unit, Street Crimes Unit, and covert operatives coming in one fell swoop to pick up kids who had been identified as trafficked or stolen.
Officials announced that each recovered child was interviewed by SAPD’s Special Victims Unit to determine victimization and referred to support services for long-term care and protection.
FOX News reported that the highly coordinated effort resulted in:
Three arrests for harboring runaways; Nine felony warrants executed; Six sex trafficking survivors rescued and connected with support services; Five new trafficking investigations opened; More than 30 missing juveniles were located; And more than 120 additional juveniles voluntarily returned home, clearing their names from missing persons databases.
The U.S. Marshals Service won expanded ability to track down traffickers through a 2015 act, and announced shortly afterward the establishment of the Missing Child Unit "to oversee operations and respond to requests from law enforcement partners nationwide."
The Marshals Service defines critically missing children as those at heightened risk of violent crime or other elevated factors such as sexual exploitation, substance abuse, exposure to crime, or domestic violence.
Operation Lightning Bug highlighted in a press release how well it works when there's coordinated action between federal, state, and local partners to locate missing children, disrupt trafficking networks, and bring offenders to justice.
U.S. Marshal Susan Pamerleau said, "The safety of our children is the safety of our communities, and justice demands that we protect those who cannot protect themselves."