SAN ANTONIO – More than two dozen missing children have been found after a nearly three-week operation.

Several people are facing human trafficking charges thanks to the local law enforcement collaboration that made it possible.

10 agencies including San Antonio Police, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and the New Braunfels Police Department teamed up to make operation ‘Lightning Bug’ happen. Their mission was to bring home missing, trafficked and exploited minors.

Officials with The US Marshal’s Service Western Texas District said there are more operations to come.

Local and federal agencies worked together to bring home missing children listed in a local database called the Texas Crime Information Center. Deputies worked from July 28 to Aug. 15 to rescue six sex trafficking victims and more than 30 missing minors.

They made at least three arrests along the way.

Jose Nunez with the US Marshals Western District of Texas is calling the operation a success.

“This was the first time we worked together with our state and local partners with an operation just like this, and just locating missing children and just disrupting any type of trafficking networks,” he said. “Just bringing offenders to justice.”

Nunez did not share how old the victims were, but said all of them were under the age of 17.

Julie Strentzsch is the CEO of the Crisis Center of Comal County.

She’s seen these kinds of operation’s first hand — saying they’re a big step in the right direction.

“People need to know there’s consequences for their actions, but I think it’s more than that,” she said. “I think it’s a community wide system response that will, you know, be even more productive long term, to stopping trafficking and violence against children.”

In a statement, Chief William McManus commended the work of all the agencies involved to bring these children home.

“Every suspect arrested, juvenile returned home, and survivor taken out of harm’s way matters,” McManus said. “This operation demonstrates what can be achieved when law enforcement agencies unite to protect children.”

Because of operation “Lightning Bug’, there are five human trafficking investigations open.

There’s no word on the condition of the victims, or official charges for the suspects.