Authorities have successfully rescued 70 missing children linked to sex trafficking operations in Texas.
“Operation Lost Souls,” which lasted for three weeks, started in April in the Texas counties of El Paso, Midland, Ector, and Tom Green and recovered 70 children ranging from ages 10 to 17 who were victims of sex trafficking, physical and sexual abuse.
“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 in a press releas.
“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,” Cho added.
It was conducted by several law enforcement agencies, including the Texas Highway Patrol, El Paso Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The children who were located outside of West Texas were found in Dallas, Texas; Colorado; and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, authorities said.
This comes after the lifting of “Title 42,” a controversial border policy implemented by former President Donald Trump back in March 2020 that allowed the U.S. Border Patrol to turn migrants away.
U.S. Border Patrol agents have expressed concerns that the end of “Title 42” could lead to a possible surge in illegal immigrants that could overwhelm them, as a large number of migrants in Mexican cities have been waiting for the policy to drop.
Texas ranchers living in border communities are also fearing for their businesses, with many struggling to find workers because of fears at the border.
“They come through, and they cut our fences, and they leave trash everywhere,” said Double M ranch owner Mike Hayes. “The livestock gets out on the road and might be hit by cars and things like that.”
Meanwhile, Eagle Pass Mayor Pro-Tem Yolanda Ramon said that his community has been concerned about the end of “Title 42.”
“I can guarantee that the migrant impact could be even more than double. If Title 42 expires, if President Biden doesn’t do anything to stop that … trust me, we are going to see things we have never seen in Eagle Pass here before,” Ramon said.
