FBI Milwaukee: Wis. authorities locate 4 trafficking victims in national operation

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - FBI Milwaukee and state law enforcement helped recover four victims of human trafficking and arrested eight people as part of a two-week national operation.

“Operation Cross Country” was an initiative led by the FBI that worked to identify and find victims of human trafficking and arrest those responsible for the crimes across the country.

FBI Milwaukee agents worked with 15 law enforcement agencies in the operation starting on Aug. 4, including the Milwaukee Police Department- Intel Support, Oshkosh Police Department and Wisconsin Department of Corrections. FBI Milwaukee did not provide the identities of the suspects or the age range of the victims found.

“Human trafficking is among the most heinous crimes the FBI encounters,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Unfortunately, such crimes—against both adults and children—are far more common than most people realize. As we did in this operation, the FBI and our partners will continue to find and arrest traffickers, identify and help victims, and raise awareness of the exploitation of our most vulnerable populations.”

On a national level, 84 children were rescued from child sex trafficking and 37 missing children were located. The average age of victims located during the initiative this year was around 15 years old. The youngest victim authorities found was 11 years old.