FBI, state law enforcement rescue 6 juveniles, arrest 12 pimps

Operation Cross Country identifies, recovers sexually exploited juveniles

MILWAUKEE — Six juvenile victims were rescued and 12 pimps were arrested during a four-day period as part of a partnership between the FBI and state and local law enforcement, according to a release.

The Innocence Lost program has resulted in the identification and recovery of approximately 3,400 minors who have been sexually exploited across the country since the program started in 2003, officials said.

This year’s enforcement program, Operation Cross Country, resulted in 168 trafficking victims being recovered and 281 pimps being arrested across the country, according to the release. Operation Cross Country, in its eighth year, is an annual law enforcement program that this year, took place in 106 cities, and highlights ongoing efforts by the FBI to address the sexual exploitation of juveniles as part of the Innocence Lost program.

“The FBI and its partners recognize that human trafficking and crimes against children not only impact metropolitan areas such as Milwaukee, but affects communities across the whole state,” Special Agent in Charge of the Milwaukee Division of the FBI Robert Shields said in the release. “Although we participated in Operation Cross Country Eight, we will remain vigilant with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners in bringing those individuals to justice who prey on our most vulnerable citizens.”

Local law enforcement operations that participated in Operation Cross Country include the Baraboo Police Department, the Beloit Police Department, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, the Edgerton Police Department, the Madison Police Department, the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, the University of Wisconsin Police Department and the Wisconsin Department of Justice.