OAN Staff Abril Elfi
3:26 PM – Thursday, July 31, 2025
At least seventy-two people have been arrested and 29 human trafficking victims have been rescued following a two-week statewide joint law enforcement operation.
According to Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R-Miss.), the effort, called Operation Guardian Force, was led by the Attorney General’s Office’s Human Trafficking Task Force, the Fentanyl Strike Force, and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Fitch announced that the operation ran from July 14th to July 29th, in partnership with “400 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers” — who effectively coordinated search warrants, arrests, and victim services.
“My office is committed to taking criminals who traffic people and drugs off the streets and is equally committed to setting victims on the road to recovery. I am proud of the dedicated investigators and prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Office, as well as our partners in local, state, and federal law enforcement, for their work on this operation and every day to keep our communities safe,” said Fitch. “And I am grateful to President Trump for making efforts to eradicate human trafficking and fentanyl as top priorities. It was an honor to have Acting Assistant Secretary Gradison here to observe the hard work Mississippi’s law enforcement is doing to achieve these same goals.”
Acting Assistant Secretary Andrew Gradison of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) conducted an official visit to observe the coordinated efforts and operational impact of Operation Guardian Force. His engagement highlighted the Trump administration’s commitment to supporting innovative, frontline initiatives that enhance the safety, well-being, and protection of vulnerable children and families.
“The Trump Administration will partner with anyone who will join us in the fight against human trafficking,” said Gradison. “I was honored to witness firsthand Attorney General Fitch’s leadership and Mississippi’s effective coordination between law enforcement and victim services to help save lives.”
The following agencies participated as well:
- Bay St. Louis Police Department
- Biloxi Police Department
- Desoto County Sheriff’s Office
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Forrest County Sheriff’s Office
- Harrison County Sheriff’s Office
- Hattiesburg Police Department
- Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
- Horn Lake Police Department
- Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
- Jones County Sheriff’s Office
- Lamar County Sheriff’s Office
- Lee County Sheriff’s Office
- Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI)
- Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (MBN)
- Mississippi Department of Revenue – Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC)
- Mississippi Office of Homeland Security
- North MS Narcotics Task Force
- Saltillo Police Department
- Southaven Police Department
- Stone County Sheriff’s Office
- Tunica County Sheriff’s Office
- Tupelo Police Department
- Wayne County Sheriff’s Office
In addition to law enforcement partners, the Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence, Center for Violence Prevention, and Transformation Garden provided services and treatment to the victims.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!Sponsored Content Below