(CNN) Thirty-three missing children were recovered this month in an anti-human trafficking operation led by FBI's Los Angeles field office, the bureau said in a statement Friday. Of the 33 children recovered during "Operation Lost Angels," eight were being sexually exploited at the time of their recovery, the FBI said. Two children were recovered multiple times during the operation, the FBI said, noting it's not uncommon for rescued victims to return to commercial sex trafficking "either voluntarily or by force, fraud, or coercion." Victims may not self-identify as being trafficked or may not even realize they're being trafficked," the FBI statement said. Some of the other victims located during the operation were sexually exploited in the past and were considered vulnerable missing children, the statement said.

Source: CNN January 23, 2021 23:26 UTC