US Marshals find 200 missing children nationwide during Operation We Will Find You 2, that was done in the last month.
The so-called Operation We Will Find You 2 resulted in the discovery of 200 missing children, including minors who may be in grave danger and may be vulnerable to child sex trafficking, abuse, exploitation and other crimes.
According to the Justice Department, the United States Marshals Service (USMS), along with federal, state and local agencies in seven federal judicial districts and geographic locations across the United States, led a six-week nationwide operation.
This was the second operation of its kind in the entire country to help missing children, and it took place from May 20 to June 24. and focused on geographic areas with high concentrations of seriously missing children.
With technical assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), OWWFY2 was able to recover and remove 123 children from dangerous situations. An additional 77 missing children were located and found in safe locations, according to law enforcement or child welfare agencies.
Of the 200 children found, 173 were endangered runaways, 25 were considered missing, one was a family abduction and one was a non-family abduction. The youngest child recovered was five months old.
“There are no words to describe the terror felt by missing children, their families, and their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am grateful to the dedicated professionals at the U.S. Marshals Service and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children who worked to find 200 critically missing children during this six-week operation, and who work every day to keep children safe.”
“One of the most sacred missions of the U.S. Marshals Service is to locate and recover our nation’s critically missing children,” said U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald L. Davis. “This is one of our top priorities as there are still thousands of children missing and at risk.”
According to authorities, among the significant recoveries is one reported on January 11, a 16-year-old girl was reported missing from her home in Edwardsburg, Michigan.by his/her legal guardian.
The investigation showed that the child was likely being controlled and abused by the adult male. Thus, on June 13, USMS personnel attempted to arrest the adult male and recover the child at an apartment in Hammond, Indiana. The adult male jumped out of a window and attempted to flee the area but was apprehended by a police K-9 prior to his eventual arrest. USMS personnel found the child safe inside the apartment and turned her over to child protective services.
On May 13, a 15-year-old girl was reported missing and information indicated that she might be staying in other people’s homes or sleeping in parks in Miami-Dade, Florida.
During the investigation, it was discovered that the girl had become a victim of human trafficking, but on June 7, personnel from the United States Marshals Service, in collaboration with detectives from the Miami Police Department, located the girl in an apartment complex after an extensive search throughout the city.
Meanwhile, on April 16, a 16-year-old girl was reported missing after running away from her home in Phoenix. The investigation revealed that the girl was in Los Angeles, possibly being trafficked for sex. The alleged trafficker was killed in Los Angeles on May 25.
Following investigation, on June 11, the girl was located by the United States Postal Service (USMS) in Flint, Michigan, at a hotel.
Keep reading:
–Hispanic man who sexually abused a girl in a New York park in broad daylight is arrested
–New York suspect sexually assaulted a woman sunbathing in Central Park
–Sketch of suspect who tried to rape woman sunbathing in Central Park, NY, revealed