During a four-day country-wide Sting Operation targeting child traffickers, the FBI managed to rescue 84 children and arrest 120 Human Traffickers. The operation was carried out between the 4th and 15th of October, according to NBC News reports.

While announcing the results of the successful operation on Wednesday, the FBI said in a statement that the agency's objective was to stop trafficking rings that deal with minors from operating in the country.

During the yearly operation, trafficked children are rescued and identified by the FBI's National Center For Missing and Exploited Children. This year's operation brought together 55 FBI field offices, 78 FBI task forces, and a total of 500 law enforcement agency's from across the country.

International law enforcement partners from Cambodia, the Philippines, UK, and Canada also played a part in this year's operation.

Child protection

FBI Director Christopher Wray said it was the FBI's objective to protect innocent children who were exploited by human traffickers. He added the agency would continue to deploy all available resources to stop the trafficking of children.

Wray also observed that the partnership with local law enforcement made substantial gains in combatting the vice, and reiterated the agency's commitment to stamping out the practice and bringing those involved to justice. The FBI Director also pointed out that apart from making arrests, the agency also offered help to the victims by providing a way out of the vicious cycle.

Innocence Lost Initiative

The initiative was launched in 2003 to identify and rescue children in the hands of traffickers and has so far rescued 6500 exploited children. This year's operation took law enforcement officers to casinos, hotels, social media sites, and truck-stops, where exploited children were found and rescued.

A case that stood out this year was the rescue of a three-month-old baby and her five-year-old sister. The two girls were offered by a friend living with the family. The family friend made a deal with an undercover agent to sell the children for $600.

The highest number of rescued children this year came from Wyoming and Colorado. Despite the high numbers, George Brauchler, the County District Attorney, said it did not mean that the trafficking problem was endemic in both states. Last year, the operation rescued 82 minors and arrested 239 offenders, most of whom are serving life sentences in various prisons across the country.