In a joint effort led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas, with support from the HSI Dallas Special Response Team, HSI San Antonio, and the Dallas County District Attorney's Office, two operations were carried out resulting in the apprehension of 187 individuals involved in sex trafficking and related federal and state charges.
The initiative began in September 2023 when HSI Dallas established a large-scale, multi-agency task force aimed at targeting and suppressing the demand fueling sex trafficking in the Dallas area. Over a five-day period, law enforcement officers posed as commercial sex workers on various solicitation websites, engaging in conversations with potential customers and traffickers.
Upon agreement to services and a price, the individuals were directed to meeting locations where law enforcement awaited to take them into custody. The operation led to the arrest of 134 individuals, along with the seizure of various drugs and firearms. Notably, among those apprehended were known human traffickers, individuals in positions of public trust such as teachers, healthcare workers, first responders, violent criminals, and convicted sex offenders.
In a subsequent two-day operation conducted in January, the task force arrested an additional 53 individuals, encompassing laborers, engineers, business professionals, truck drivers, attorneys, and accountants.
