FBI El Paso Makes 19 Arrests in Operation Cross Country VII

From July 26 to 28, 2013, the FBI, in coordination with our state, local, and federal partners, participated in the national initiative Operation Cross Country VII (OCC VII), which focused on locating child victims being exploited through prostitution. The secondary focus was to identify and prosecute those responsible for the victimization. Nationwide, OCC VII located more than 105 child victims who were being used for prostitution and 150 pimps nationwide.

For its part, FBI El Paso and members of the Child Exploitation Task Force, which include Homeland Security Investigation, U.S. Attorney’s Office, El Paso District Attorney’s Office, El Paso Police Department, El Paso Country Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, and several community entities, conducted several prostitute sting operations over the course of three days. Our combined local efforts yielded 19 prostitution arrests, including three pimps. “This is a prime example of excellent collaborative, law enforcement partnerships in the city of El Paso,” according to SAC Mark Morgan. “The FBI and its collaboration with our law enforcement partners will continue to work towards the elimination of child exploitation in our community.”

Additional information on Operation Cross Country VII:

• FBI.gov story
• National press release