200 Missing Children Found in Nationwide Operation by US Marshals Service

Lina Portman2 days ago

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Among the 200 missing children found as part of Operation We Will Find You 2 were 173 runaways at risk, including a one-year-old girl whose mother was convicted of the death of another of her children.

More than 170 endangered runaways have been located and rescued in an operation led by the U.S. Marshals Service and other agencies.

A total of 200 missing children were recovered as part of a nationwide operation called “Operation We Will Find You 2,” conducted from May 20 to June 24 by the Marshals Service and other federal, state and local agencies across the United States, the service said in a statement Monday.

The operation, conducted with the help of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, resulted in the recovery and removal of 123 children from dangerous situations, the Marshals Service said. The other 77 missing children have been located and are in safe locations, according to law enforcement or child protection agencies.

Among the children recovered was a one-year-old girl, whose mother had failed to hand her over despite being convicted for her actions in the strangulation, assault and death of another of her children, a 4-year-old boy.

Also rescued were a 12-year-old girl, a victim of alleged sexual abuse; two girls, ages 15 and 17, alleged victims of human trafficking; and three 16-year-old girls — one an alleged victim of sex trafficking, one of alleged human trafficking and sexual exploitation, and the third likely controlled and abused by the adult male, authorities said.

“There are no words to describe the terror felt by the missing children, their families and their communities,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. The department and NCMEC “work every day to keep children safe,” he added.

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U.S. Marshals Service: Youngest missing child found was 5 months old

The operation, which follows last year's “We Will Find You” operation, focuses on high-risk missing children who are at risk of sexual abuse, sex trafficking and other forms of exploitation, authorities said.

Most of the rescued children were handed over to child protective services. Other missing children were found at the request of law enforcement to confirm their location and safety, the service said.

The operation was conducted in areas of Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, New York and Oregon known to have “numerous hotspots of critical child disappearances,” the service said.

“One of the most sacred missions of the U.S. Marshals Service is locating and recovering our nation’s critically missing children,” U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald Davis said in a statement. “This is one of our top priorities as thousands of children remain missing and in danger.”

The youngest child found in the recent operation was 5 months old, the service said; 14 of the children were found outside the city where they disappeared. Of the missing children found, 57 percent were found within seven days of the Marshals Service's intervention.

“We are grateful that vulnerable children were recovered as part of this operation, and we commend the U.S. Marshals Service and all agencies involved for their commitment to protecting youth and ensuring these children are not forgotten,” said Michelle DeLaune, NCMEC President and CEO. “Behind every statistic is a child who deserves to grow up safe from harm.”

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Among the 200 missing children found as part of Operation We Will Find You 2 were 173 runaways at risk, including a one-year-old girl whose mother was convicted of the death of another of her children.

U.S. Marshals Service: Youngest missing child found was 5 months old

Lina Portman

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