The FBI announced on Thursday the results from a years-long international anti-sextortion operation spearheaded by the bureau that led to the arrest and extradition of 22 Nigerian nationals.<\/p>\n
The effort, known as \u2018Operation Artemis\u2019, consisted of a conjoined effort between law enforcement agencies in the United States, Canada, Australia, Nigeria, and the United Kingdom to combat the growing global crisis around sextortion.<\/p>\n
Operation Artemis was launched in response to the uptick in sextortion seen by the FBI in recent years. From last October to this March, the F<\/a>BI’s IC3<\/a> reported a 30% increase in sextortion reports, a figure that increased by 20,000 from 2023 to 2024.<\/p>\n Of the 22 men that were arrested, approximately half were directly linked to cases where the victim chose to take their own life. The operation looks to send a clear message to perpetrators of this crime, which has been the confirmed cause of over 20 deaths in the last three years.<\/p>\n \u201cOperation Artemis exemplifies the FBI\u2019s never-ending mission to protect our most vulnerable, and to pursue the heinous criminals harming our children, no matter where they hide,\u201d said FBI Director Kash Patel<\/a>. \u201cThis operation highlights the critical need for international cooperation to address this growing threat, and it\u2019s a fight we can\u2019t take on without our valued partners across the globe. We hope this message encourages parents and guardians to continue to educate their children about online safety and serves as a reminder of the FBI\u2019s relentless pursuit of keeping our children safe.\u201d<\/p>\n