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The San Antonio Division of Homeland Security Investigations said it rescued several victims of sex trafficking during a multi-day operation coinciding with the NCAA playoffs.
Officials said they recovered eight victims of sex trafficking as more than 100,000 people came to San Antonio for the Final Four games and related events.
The joint operation included assistance from the San Antonio Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and other agencies.
No further details were given about the operation.
Advocacy group Rights4Girls targeted eight cities hosting the tournament with a billboard campaign that aimed to expose the realities of the sex trade, which often accompanies large-scale events, like the Final Four.
In late March, Yasmin Vafa, the group's executive director, explained that "in viewing close to 100 of these conversations all across the country, we were able to determine that sex buyers are largely aware and indifferent to overt signs of coercion, trafficking, violence, desperation, and even severe substance abuse in the people that they're purchasing for sex. And so we make sure that these individuals ought to be held accountable."
Jerry Clayton contributed to this report.
