Seventy people were arrested across Mississippi in the two-week “Operation Muddy Waters” crackdown on child exploitation suspects and previously convicted sex offenders, federal officials said.
The sweep produced new charges including alleged interstate travel to abuse minors, online contact with 14-year-olds and trading child sexual abuse material; officials said one child was rescued from an active sextortion scheme.
DHS identified several arrestees as immigrants in the U.S. illegally, including suspects from Honduras, Bangladesh and Mexico, alongside U.S. citizens accused of using social media to solicit minors.
The operation brought together HSI, U.S. attorneys, the Mississippi attorney general, state public safety officials, U.S. Marshals, county sheriffs and local police in a statewide enforcement push.