Seventy missing children were found by a law enforcement task force in West Texas from the end of April through mid-May.
According to a news release from the Department of Homeland Security, the children were found in Ector, Midland, El Paso and Tom Green counties by a task force comprised of officers from numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Odessa Police Department, Ector County Sheriff’s Office and the Ector County Independent School District.
Some of the children had been sex trafficked and suffered physical and sexual abuse. Victim services workers, including those from Harmony Home and Medical Center Hospital, were on hand to provide services and counseling to the children and their families.
The task force is investigating additional information it obtained throughout Operation Lost Souls.
DPS Sgt. Steven Blanco said he was unable to provide specific numbers as to Ector County/Odessa victims and the Department of Homeland Security was unable to immediately provide numbers, either.
If you are a victim of human trafficking or have information about this type of criminal activity, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888.
