17 Rescued In Trafficking Crackdown In San Diego Area: FBI

SAN DIEGO, CA — The San Diego division of the FBI announced this week that agents have rescued at least 17 potential human trafficking victims, including one under the age of 18, during a nationwide operation.

As part of Operation Cross Country XII, FBI agents worked with specialists and local, state and federal partners to identify and find victims and arrest people involved with child sex trafficking and human trafficking during the first two weeks of August, according to the FBI.

"This year's operation emphasizes the FBI's commitment to identifying and locating victims of human trafficking and bringing to justice those who seek to exploit them," said Stacey Moy, special agent in charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office.

"We are proud to have worked alongside our law enforcement partners in our efforts against these horrific crimes," Moy said. "The FBI will continue to investigate all human trafficking, as we do each and every day, to ensure the victims receive the resources and assistance they need, and their traffickers are held accountable."

The FBI partnered with about 200 local, state and federal agencies on Operation Cross Country. Locally, the FBI San Diego Field Office and the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force worked with the Chula Vista, Escondido, National City, San Diego and San Diego Unified police departments, as well as the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, San Diego County Probation Department, San Diego Office of Homeland Security Investigations, San Diego County Child Welfare Services, California Department of Justice, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.