82 people were arrested in Wisconsin, including 16 in Brown County, during a nationwide sex trafficking sting aimed at saving underage victims, the FBI announced Thursday.
The 16 arrests in Brown County included charges of human trafficking, prostitution and illegal drug offenses, according to the Brown County Sheriff's Office.
The sting, called Operation Cross Country XI, was part of the FBI's annual push to rescue underage victims of prostitution and raise awareness of sex trafficking both in the country and around the world.
The Brown County Sheriff's Office participated in the sting, along with the Green Bay Police Department, De Pere Police Department and Ashwaubenon Public Safety.
The four-day operation ended October 15. In addition to the 82 people arrested in Wisconsin, two juveniles were rescued in the Racine area.
This year's Operation Cross County involved 55 FBI field offices and 78 FBI-led Child Exploitation Task Forces with more than 500 law enforcement agencies.
Operation Cross Country is part of the FBI's Innocence Lost National Initiative, which started in 2003.
