A child trafficking investigation run by Homeland Security Investigations in tandem with several other agencies yielded impressive results, HSI announced last week.
“Operation Lost Souls” was executed across four Texas counties – Ector, El Paso, Midland and Tom Green – and yielded the discovery of 70 missing children.
The children ranged in age from 10 to 17, and many showed signs of both physical and sexual abuse consistent with victims of sex trafficking. Many of the children were categorized as runaways.
In addition to the children that were recovered, HSI reported that multiple additional leads were discovered and will be investigated.
“Operation Lost Souls exemplifies Homeland Security Investigations’ commitment to protecting the public from crimes of victimization. In this case, we are looking out for our children - our community’s most precious resource,” HSI El Paso Deputy Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho said in a press release.
HSI declined to release further details, due to the victims being largely minors. They do however urge anyone who may have a tip on human trafficking to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888
The Ector and Midland County Sheriff’s Offices, Harmony Home Advocacy Center, Texas DPS, U.S. Marshals and the FBI all assisted HSI in the investigation and retrieval of the children.
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