A Texas human trafficking crackdown successfully rescued more than 30 missing children throughout San Antonio, unveiling multiple human trafficking operations in the San Antonio area.
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According to a release issued by the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) and the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force conducted Operation Lightning Bug. This multi-agency initiative aimed to target crimes against vulnerable youth and run from July 28 through August 15.
“Focusing resources to locate missing juveniles at high risk of exploitation by traffickers and predators, deputies from USMS offices in San Antonio, Del Rio, Midland, and Pecos joined forces with SAPD’s Missing Persons Unit, Special Victims Unit, covert units, and Street Crimes Unit,” the release detailed.
The multi-agency team reviewed the Texas Crime Information Center and National Crime Information Center databases in the San Antonio area. They pinpointed every juvenile that was listed as missing and jumped into action.
The USMS detailed that over 30 missing juveniles were located and rescued. Also, over 120 additional juveniles were encouraged to return home, leading to cleared entries in the aforementioned databases. Additionally, six human trafficking survivors were recovered.
Human Trafficking In Texas
Meanwhile, three individuals were arrested for harboring a runaway. Authorities also executed nine felony arrest warrants, and five human trafficking investigations were opened.
“The safety of our children is the safety of our communities,” U.S. Marshal Susan Pamerleau said. “Justice demands that we protect those who cannot protect themselves. Through Operation Lightning Bug, we reaffirm our promise to safeguard the most vulnerable and strengthen the safety of our communities.”
Echoing Pamerleau’s statement, SAPD Chief William McManus said, “Every suspect arrested, juvenile returned home, and survivor taken out of harm’s way matters. This operation demonstrates what can be achieved when law enforcement agencies unite to protect children.”
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Kirsta Leeberg-Melton, CEO of the Institute to Combat Trafficking, shared that human trafficking has plagued the city of San Antonio and the state of Texas for a “considerable amount of time.”
More often than not, children struck by instability, such as a lack of housing or family support, Leeberg-Melton explained, become easy targets for human traffickers. She added that the criminals exploit these needs by offering what the children or other victims desperately need.