Texas ? State authorities took custody Friday of 18 girls who had been living at a secretive West Texas religious retreat built by polygamist leader Warren Jeffs.

Fifty-two girls, ages 6 months to 17 years, were put on a bus and taken away from the compound in the afternoon, said Marleigh Meisner, spokeswoman for state Child Protective Services. About half the children had been interviewed so far, with a judge giving the state custody of about a third of the girls removed from the retreat.

Authorities entered the 1,700-acre retreat, built by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, late Thursday and served search and arrest warrants Friday. There were no arrests by the afternoon.