SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — Homeland Security Investigations and multiple agencies, including the San Angelo Police Department and the Tom Green County Sheriffs’ Office, located and recovered 70 missing children as a part of a three-week operation in West Texas.

According to U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement, “Operation Lost Souls” ran from the end of April through mid-May 2022 in El Paso, Midland and Ector and Tom Green counties. The missing children ranged in age from 10 to 17 and included victims of sex trafficking and physical and sexual abuse.

Most of the children were found in West Texas, but some were located in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex and the state of Colorado and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

“At the Department of Public Safety, teamwork is one of our core values,” said DPS Major Matthew Mull. “We are grateful for all of our law enforcement partners who participated in this operation and who work around the clock every day to protect our communities, including our youth.”

Assisting agencies included: HSI Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Attache Office, West Texas Anti-Gang Center, Texas Highway Patrol, El Paso Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, El Paso County Constables, Socorro (Texas) Police Department (SPD), Department of Family and Protective Services, El Paso Independent School District Police Department, Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission, and the Juvenile Probation Department.

These agencies also assisted: San Angelo (Texas) Police Department, Tom Green (Texas) County Sheriff’s Office, Odessa (Texas) Police Department, Ector (Texas) County Sheriff’s Office, Ector County Independent School District Police Department, Midland (Texas) County Sheriff’s Office, Midland County Independent School District, Midland Juvenile Probation Department, Advocacy Center for Children of El Paso, Paseo Del Norte Center of Hope, the El Paso Center for Children, Midland Rape Crisis and Children’s Advocacy Center, Harmony Home Children’s Advocacy Center, Midland Memorial Hospital SANE Nurses, and Medical Center Hospital SANE Nurses.

If you have information about a human trafficking victim or information about this type of criminal activity, please contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888.