A multi-agency operation in El Paso recently recovered 70 missing children, including victims of sex trafficking.
According to a press release from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso and the Texas Department of Public Safety collaborated with several other agencies to conduct Operation Lost Souls, a three week operation taking place during the end of April into May.
The operation focused on El Paso, Midland, Ector and Tom Green counties and was able to successfully recover 70 missing youths. ICE noted that the children ranged from ages 10-17, and among them were victims of sex trafficking and physical abuse. Most of the children were from West Texas.
"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,” said HSI El Paso Deputy Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho. “HSI is committed to continue working with our law enforcement partners to locate, recover and help missing children heal, while ensuring that perpetrators are held responsible for these heinous crimes and brought to justice.”
Operation Lost Souls uncovered additional leads that HSI El Paso will continue to investigate, according to ICE.
The Texan reported that while criminal human trafficking investigations increased from 2020 to 2021, there was also an increase in arrests of human traffickers made over the same period.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline is (888) 373-7888, and should be contacted with any information relating to human trafficking.