LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A multi-day operation to find missing and exploited children in Las Vegas successfully located 12 juveniles ahead of the Super Bowl, authorities announced.
The F.R.E.E. International Organization led the “Big Search Missing & Exploited Children Task Force Operation” from February 2-6, 2026, working alongside community partners under the Nevada Human Trafficking Task Force.
The operation focused on locating juveniles identified as victims of human trafficking, as well as missing or endangered youth. Teams were assigned 21 missing children cases at the start of the operation, several of whom had already been identified as victims of commercial sexual exploitation.
“The Big Search is designed to locate missing children, turn them over to law enforcement, and provide the children and their guardians with needed resources,” organizers said.
In addition to recovering the 12 children, the task force generated several intelligence leads that were submitted to area law enforcement for ongoing exploitation-related investigations.
Comprehensive resources and wrap-around services were provided to victims and their families through Shepherds F.R.E.E. International’s victim-centered approach, with the goal of helping them transition from victims to survivors.
The operation was strategically timed before the Super Bowl event in Las Vegas.
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