By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com
San Diego — Trying to keep a focus on the plague of child sex trafficking, FBI Director James Comey on Monday announced that 82 minors were rescued and 239 traffickers and their associates were arrested in a nationwide crackdown titled Operation Cross Country X that ran from Oct. 13 to Oct. 16 and involved members of state, local and federal law enforcement.
“Operation Cross Country aims to shine a spotlight into the darkest corners of our society that seeks to prey on the most vulnerable of our population,” Comey said at the International Association of Police Chiefs in San Diego. “As part of this effort, we are not only looking to root out those who engage in the trafficking of minors, but through our Office for Victim Assistance, we offer a lifeline to minors to help them escape from a virtual prison no person ever deserves.”
For the first time, Comey said, the program, in its 10th year, included foreign countries: Cambodia, Canada, the Philippines, and Thailand. In Canada, authorities recovered 16 children, while in Cambodia, Thailand, and the Philippines, authorities recovered 25 children, including a 2-year-old girl.
Comey said while some are relieved when law enforcement intervenes, not all are grateful, and may require counseling and other assistance to essentially be deprogramed.
