. >> reporter: elizabeth curos was a victim of human trafficking for nearly 12 years but victim no more. she is making a difference. >> when i was 26, i was arrested for the last time and i had a 3-month-old baby boy i needed to think about and at that time i realized i needed to end the cycle that was within my family. >> reporter: elizabeth curos said she met her trafficker when she was 16 years old. it began with a stranger first giving her compliments, then gifts, then a hope of a better life than what she was experiencing at home, but it just led to a life of crime and trauma. >> at the time of the point of contact of me being arrested there was no services. i was treated as a criminal and looked down upon because, of course, i was an addict. i was selling drugs and smoked my own supply because of all those years of trauma and being trafficked. >> reporter: she is applauding fbi's latest operation cross-country that helped locate four children and 17 adults. she feels the key to reaching the victims is to provide the right type of resources. >> it's important that we continue to br