FBI arrests hundreds of alleged child abusers during joint operation in Texas

The FBI on Tuesday announced that it has arrested over 200 alleged child abusers during a joint operation with local law enforcement in Texas, which also saved more than 100 children.

The joint operation, dubbed Operation Soteria Shield, is an annual collaboration that has taken place every April for the past 10 years as part of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This year's operation was conducted by 70 agencies across Texas.

The FBI told The Daily Wire that 244 offenders were arrested by authorities, and 368 total charges were filed on both federal and state levels.

“FBI leadership has made it crystal clear: If you harm children in America, there will be no place for you to hide,” FBI spokesman Ben Williamson told the outlet. “The FBI will spare no effort to pursue you, find you, and bring you to justice. We are proud of our Dallas teams and local partnerships in the region for once again delivering a successful operation and making American neighborhoods safer."

The operation was conducted by the FBI's Dallas Division, Dallas Police Department, Plano Police Department, Wylie Police Department, and Garland Police Department, among others. It also resulted in the seizure of 1,130 digital devices.

The FBI also said more victims could be identified and more arrests could be made in the future after the bureau reviews additional evidence obtained on the digital devices.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.