Homeland Security Investigations has honored seven Albuquerque detective and undercover agents for their role in a new task force aimed at finding missing and abducted children.
Kevin Abar, assistant special agent in charge of HSI in New Mexico, presented the officers with awards Thursday and said their work in the Sexual Predator and Exploitation Enforcement Detail, or SPEED, has resulted in a number of arrests.
Since forming last year, the task force has arrested more than 40 people who sought to abduct children or came to Albuquerque to have sex with children.
The interagency unit seeks to work with local law enforcement departments to investigate state and federal crimes related to the sexual exploitation of children.
Officials say SPEED allows the agencies to combine resources to quickly investigate cases.