ATLANTA _ A total of 169 people were arrested during an 11-day investigation into human trafficking throughout metro Atlanta leading up to the Super Bowl, the FBI said Tuesday.
Among those arrested were 26 alleged sex traffickers and 34 who allegedly attempted to engage in sex acts with minors, according to the FBI. Nine juvenile victims of sex trafficking were recovered, including a 14-year-old. Nine other trafficking victims were also identified.
The names of those charged and the specific charges were not released.
More than 25 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and district attorney's offices, along with seven non-governmental organizations, participated in the operation, according to Kevin Rowson, FBI spokesman. The GBI, Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office, Homeland Security and police departments in Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Fulton and Clayton counties were among the agencies involved
"From January 23, 2019 to February 2, 2019, the operation's goal was to raise awareness about sex trafficking by proactively addressing that threat during the Super Bowl and events leading up to the Super Bowl," Rowson said in a press release. "Sex trafficking is not just a problem during large scale events, it is a 365-day-a-year problem in communities all across the country."
