70 missing children have been found via a joint task force operation in West Texas.
The operation, known as 'Operation Lost Souls' found that some of the 70 children, aged from 10 to 17, were victims of sex trafficking, physical and sexual abuse, reports Fox News.
Within a reported three-week period, the children were found in the Texas counties of El Paso, Midland, Ector and Tom Green.
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The operation required multiple workforces and was conducted by the Texas Highway Patrol, El Paso Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI, along with other agencies.
Taekuk Cho, a HSI El Paso Deputy Special Agent in Charge, said: "Operation Lost Souls exemplifies Homeland Security Investigations’ commitment to protecting the public from crimes of victimisation.
"In this case, we are looking out for our children — our community’s most precious resource.
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"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."
DPS Major Matthew Mull added: "At the Department of Public Safety, teamwork is one of our core values.
"We are grateful for all of our law enforcement partners who participated in this operation and who work around the clock every day to protect our communities, including our youth."
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A private investigator also told News Nation the grim reality which faces these helpless children.
He said: "Every day that a child is missing, if she's being trafficked or if he's being trafficked, it does happen to male children also, that child is being raped 10 or 15 times.
"Every day they are missing, that is trauma added.
"That's damage done."
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As per UNICEF USA, they define child trafficking as 'the recruitment, coercion, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of children under the age of 18 for the purpose of exploitation'.
They add: "It is a violation of their rights and their well-being and denies them the opportunity to reach their full potential.
"Trafficking need not involve international borders. Trafficking can — and frequently does — occur within a single country. According the U.S. Department of State 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report, 77 percent of trafficking victims are exploited within their country of residence.
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"National Human Trafficking Hotline statistics show a 25 percent jump in human trafficking cases from 2017 to 2018. This includes sex and labor trafficking. Of the more than 23,500 runaways reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2018, 1 in 7 were likely victims of child sex trafficking."
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Topics: US News
Anish Vij