The FBI has rescued nearly three dozen missing children in Southern California during a human trafficking investigation.
Of the 33 children rescued as part of ‘Operation Lost Angels’, eight were sexually exploited when authorities caught up with them to rescue them.
Two of the children were previously rescued during the operation, the agency said Friday.
“It is not uncommon for rescued victims to return to commercial sex trafficking voluntarily or by force, fraud or coercion,” the FBI said.
“This damaging cycle highlights the challenges victims face and those faced by law enforcement when trying to prevent victims from returning to an abusive situation,” the agency continued. “Victims may not identify themselves as human trafficking, or may not even realize they are trafficking.”
One suspected human trafficker was arrested, and as a result of the investigation, several investigations were launched.
The FBI added: “Some minor victims were arrested for probation, robbery or other offenses” and “one child was a victim of a non-custodial abduction of parents.”
The joint investigation, which included two dozen law enforcement agencies and was led by the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, began on January 11, the FBI said in a statement.
In 2020, the FBI conducted 664 human trafficking investigations across the country, leading to the arrests of 473 human traffickers.