In a remarkable six-week operation, the U.S. Marshals Service located and rescued 200 missing children across the country, including victims of sex trafficking, abused children, and runaways. Led by Director Ronald Davis, this effort, named “Operation We Will Find You 2,” involved cooperation from federal, state, and local agencies, focusing on areas with high numbers of missing children. The youngest child found was just five months old. Each rescue story underscores the urgent mission to protect vulnerable youth, highlighting cases where children were in immediate danger or had suffered abuse. The operation’s success is a testament to collaborative efforts aimed at bringing missing children to safety and justice.
Mary Lou Lang From the Epoch Times reported that the US Marshals Service (USMS) discovered 200 missing children, including sex trafficking victims, abused minors, and runaways, during a six-week nationwide operation, the Department of Justice stated on July 1.
“One of the most sacred missions of U.S. Marshals Service is locating and recovering our nation’s critically missing children,” said USMS Director Ronald Davis.
“This is one of our top priorities as there remain thousands of children still missing and at risk.”
Of the children discovered, 173 were endangered runaways, one was a family abduction, another was a non-family abduction, and 25 were deemed otherwise missing. The youngest was a 5-month-old infant.
From May 20 to June 24, the USMS, in collaboration with federal, state, and local agencies, conducted Operation We Will Find You 2.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) provided technical help during the operation.
According to the DOJ, Operation We Will Find You 2 is the second countrywide missing child operation that focuses on geographical areas with substantial clusters of seriously missing children.
It was carried out in the District of Arizona, the Eastern District of California, the Southern District of Florida, the Western District of Michigan, the Eastern District of North Carolina, the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and the District of Oregon.
According to the statement, in one example in the Eastern District of North Carolina, a one-year-old was reported missing in Raleigh after her mother failed to surrender her to the Department of Social Services. The mother, who had been convicted of strangling her four-year-old son to death, was apprehended, and U.S. Marshals safely retrieved the youngster.
Another example concerned a 12-year-old girl who went missing from her family home in Portland, Oregon, on May 21 after she reported being sexually molested by family members.
Police officers called the youngster via cell phone, and she agreed to meet them at a grocery shop. The youngster and a friend then contacted the police again, claiming her father was attempting to force her into his car. The USMC was able to intervene.
The child informed police she was raped by two guys and that her father had sexually touched her. After her foster family placement failed, she was transferred to a state-run shelter.
Another example concerned a 16-year-old girl who went missing after running out from a group home in Phoenix. The girl has been the victim of sex trafficking.
An inquiry revealed that the youngster was probably being sex trafficked in Los Angeles, and her alleged trafficker was murdered on May 25. The girl had informed a family member that she was going on vacation to Miami, and when she arrived, a new sex trafficker drove her to the beach and urged her to generate money.
On June 11, marshals apprehended the teenager in Flint, Michigan, and charged her with violating her probation. The man she was found with was arrested for driving without a license or insurance. Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the alleged trafficking case.
In New York, a 16-year-old girl who had previously been a victim of human trafficking went missing in November of last year. The NYC Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit requested the USMS’s assistance in the case.
Two arrest warrants were issued for a 27-year-old guy who was the primary suspect in the case. On June 3, the girl was located in the man’s bedroom, with evidence of sexual exploitation. The girl was placed under the care of the Administration for Children’s Services.
“Operation We Will Find You is a shining example of the results we can achieve when we unite in our mission to find missing children,” said NCMEC President and CEO Michelle DeLaune in a press release.
“We are grateful that vulnerable children have been recovered as part of this operation, and we commend the U.S. Marshals Service and all the agencies involved for their commitment to protect youth and ensure these children are not forgotten.
“Behind every statistic, there is a child who deserves to grow up safe from harm.”
Recently, GreatGameindia reported that sixty Indian youths returned to Delhi after being trafficked to Cambodia, where they were subjected to torture and forced into cyber scams. In Sihanoukville, up to 300 Indians protested, demanding an investigation and safe repatriation to India.
