Federal and local agencies, spearheaded by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), orchestrated a two-day rescue mission, aptly named “Operation Not for Sale,” to combat the alarming rise of child trafficking in and around Memphis.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Rescues 13 At-Risk Missing Children Exposing America’s Disturbing Secret (Photo: Urban Milwaukee)
Identifying Vulnerable Children
According to the recent report published by Fox News, in November 12, 2023, in collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Memphis Police Department, and the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation officials successfully located and rescued 13 children deemed at high risk of falling prey to human trafficking during this operation.
Child welfare expert Dr. John DeGarmo, founder of the Foster Care Institute together with Tennessee Bureau of Investigation sheds light on the factors that render children susceptible to trafficking. Children emerging from broken homes or foster care, in search of love outside their current environment, are particularly vulnerable.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, working in tandem with local police, relies on various indicators such as familial histories of domestic violence, unique tattoos, bands, or lavish clothing to pinpoint these at-risk children. The dire need for a unified effort to locate and protect these vulnerable individuals is underscored by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation authorities’ successful operation.
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Unmasking the Ugly Secret
In a recent news reported by The Presse, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reported a staggering 17,200 cases of child sex trafficking in 2021, with 25,000 reports of runaway children, one in six likely to become trafficking victims. Operation Not for Sale exemplifies the ongoing battle against this insidious issue, as intelligence analysts identified high-risk children weeks before the operation.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Director David Rausch emphasized the necessity of multidisciplinary approaches, recognizing the immense trauma suffered by trafficking victims. Despite the success of the recent operation, TBI remains vigilant, estimating that 500 to 600 children go missing every month in Tennessee, emphasizing the ongoing need for collaborative efforts to combat human trafficking.
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