Authorities rescued nearly three dozen missing children in Southern California during an investigation into human trafficking, the FBI said.
Of the 33 children rescued as part of “Operation Lost Angels,” eight were sexually exploited when authorities exploded to save them, according to federals.
Two of the children had been previously rescued during the course of the operation, the agency said Friday.
“It’s not uncommon for rescued victims to return to commercial sex trafficking, either voluntarily or by force, fraud or coercion,” the FBI said.
“This harmful cycle highlights the challenges that victims and those faced by law enforcement face when trying to prevent victims from returning to an abusive situation,” the agency continued. “Victims may not identify as trafficked or may not even realize they are trafficked.”
An alleged human trafficker was arrested and several investigations were initiated as a result of the investigation.
The FBI added, “Some of the minor victims were arrested for probation violations, theft or other offenses” and “a child was the victim of an unguarded parental abduction.”
The joint investigation, which included two dozen police agencies and led by the FBI’s local Los Angeles office, began Jan. 11, the FBI said in a statement.
In 2020, the FBI conducted 664 investigations into human trafficking across the country, resulting in the arrest of 473 traffickers.