A major federal and local operation has rescued more than 30 missing children trapped within a Texas child trafficking network and exposed what experts warn is a growing national crisis.
The joint mission, known as Operation Lightning Bug, centered in San Antonio, united teams from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and the San Antonio Police Department to locate at-risk juveniles and dismantle trafficking operations. Authorities reported three arrests for harboring runaways, nine felony warrants executed, and six sex trafficking survivors rescued. In total, more than 30 missing juveniles were located and 120 others voluntarily returned home.
“The safety of our children is the safety of our communities, and justice demands that we protect those who cannot protect themselves,” said U.S. Marshal Susan Pamerleau. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus praised the mission’s success, saying, “Every suspect arrested, juvenile returned home and survivor taken out of harm’s way matters.”
The crackdown, conducted under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, reflects an intensified effort to combat the exploitation of minors. Experts say the threat is evolving rapidly — often online. “As technology advances, traffickers…are early adopters and adapters of technology,” warned Kirsta Leeberg-Melton, founder of the Institute to Combat Trafficking.
Leeberg-Melton emphasized that this problem is not confined to the border. “American citizens can traffic American citizens on American soil,” she said, dispelling the myth that trafficking only affects foreign victims.