Doc7505
Diamond Member
- Feb 16, 2016
- 23,413
- 41,649
- 2,430
More than 30 children rescued amid trafficking operation in major US city as expert warns of growing crisis
'Operation Lightning Bug' leads to arrests and new investigations targeting trafficking of vulnerable youth
More than 30 children rescued amid trafficking operation in major US city as expert warns of growing crisis
Federal and local authorities rescued more than 30 missing children and arrested suspects in a coordinated anti-trafficking operation across Texas called Operation Lightning Bug.
www.foxnews.com
Federal and local authorities rescued more than 30 missing children and uncovered multiple trafficking operations targeting vulnerable youth during a coordinated crackdown across Texas.
The effort, centered in San Antonio, led to arrests, felony warrants and several new investigations under a joint mission known as "Operation Lightning Bug."
Teams from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) out of San Antonio, Del Rio, Midland, and Pecos joined forces with San Antonio Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit, Special Victims Unit, Street Crimes Unit and covert operatives. Together, they combed through Texas and national crime databases to identify at-risk juveniles and coordinate recovery efforts.
~Snip~
Each recovered child was interviewed by SAPD’s Special Victims Unit to determine whether they had been victimized. Survivors were referred to support services provided by agencies such as Health and Human Services to ensure long-term care and protection.
U.S. Marshal Susan Pamerleau, for the Western District of Texas, said in a statement that protecting children remains central to the Marshals Service’s mission.
"The safety of our children is the safety of our communities, and justice demands that we protect those who cannot protect themselves," Pamerleau said. "Through Operation Lightning Bug, we reaffirm our promise to safeguard the most vulnerable and strengthen the safety of our communities."
~Snip~
Leeberg-Melton emphasized that trafficking is not limited to border regions.
"American citizens can traffic American citizens on American soil," she said, adding that most trafficking cases prosecuted in the U.S. involve American perpetrators exploiting American victims.
"The biggest myth is that it happens somewhere else, and it happens to someone else," she said. "Until we start recognizing that people have value, no matter who they are, where they come from, what they’ve done or what’s been done to them, we will continue to excuse some level of exploitation."
~Snip~
Leeberg-Melton also described sextortion as a growing form of trafficking that uses coercion to force sexual conduct or imagery.
"When you have someone that you are holding something over their head and then you are asking them for additional photographs or additional sexual conduct with the threat…that is a form, frankly, of human trafficking," she said.
If you suspect someone is a victim of trafficking, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or report anonymously at humantraffickinghotline.org.
Commentary:
Meanwhile, Governors like Newsom, Pritzker, & Hochul continue to obstruct the enforcement of Immigration laws.
The silence from the Democrats for a Socialist America and Democrats in general is thunderous.
The Trump administration has done more to locate missing and exploited children than any previous administration I can recall. Both Obama and Biden administrations were complicit in child sex trafficking. Bless Tom Homan, President Trump, and other LEOs for trying to rescue those poor children.
When in Alejandro Mayorkas going to be arrested and frog matched to jail?
This is just another great job of law enforcement, There are so many breakdowns in our ability to stop criminals that the criminals feel protected to so what ever they want . Our laws have meant nothing to Democrats. They have enjoyed no punishment with judges setting them free.
Time to go after these enablers of crime.
What will the criticism about this operation will be from DSA Marxists and the minority Congress or which federal judge will attempt to shut down this type of operation.
