(Washington, D.C./New Orleans) FBI New Orleans, working with its state and local partners made five arrests, recovered five minors, and developed multiple leads during a nationwide enforcement campaign called “Operation Cross Country”.

The FBI-led nationwide initiative, in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), focused on identifying and locating victims of sex trafficking and human trafficking. Law enforcement agencies conducted targeted operations to identify and apprehend offenders, dismantling criminal networks and preventing further harm to victims. Those suspects identified will be subject to additional investigation for potential charges.

“The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to combating child exploitation and human trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr. of FBI New Orleans. “We appreciate our hardworking law enforcement partners who work with us every day to combat these insidious crimes.”

Locally, FBI agents from the New Orleans Division worked with law enforcement partners from the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, the New Orleans Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Hammond Police Department.

“HSI’s alliance with our state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies have proven to be a strong partnership that amplifies our joint efforts to protect our most vulnerable community members,” said HSI New Orleans acting Special Agent in Charge Edward V. Owens. “HSI is committed to ensuring these alleged offenders are removed from our streets and that future victimization is prevented.”

“Every day across our country, kids are groomed online for the purpose of generating sexually explicit content or worse; and unfortunately, those despicable crimes against juveniles are on the rise. While I am extremely grateful for the success of this operation, I understand that the efforts by my office and our law enforcement partners to investigate and apprehend child predators are far from over. We will continue working tirelessly to protect Louisiana’s children,” said Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry.

“The Hammond Police Department is proud to be a part of operations like this, where federal, state, and local agencies come together to make children and communities safe,” said Hammond Police Chief Edwin Bergeron, Jr. Operation Cross Country is just one facet of the Bureau’s ongoing efforts to protect the most vulnerable members of society and hold offenders accountable. The FBI encourages continued vigilance, cooperation, and reporting from the public to help identify and recover victims and bring perpetrators to justice. Resources:

• Victim Services Division
• Crimes Against Children
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• NCMEC’s 24/7 call center: 1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678)

Editor’s Note: b-roll from Operation Cross Country XII operations can be found/downloaded here: Operation Cross Country 2022