The U.S. Marshals Service recently completed a six-week national sting operation called “Operation We Will Find You 2,” during which they successfully located 200 missing children. This operation took place across seven federal judicial districts in the United States from May 20 to June 24, specifically targeting areas with a high number of critically missing children.
Working in collaboration with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the USMS was able to rescue and remove 123 children from dangerous situations. Additionally, 77 other missing children were located and found in safe environments. Out of the 200 children recovered, 173 were endangered runaways, 25 were labeled as missing, one was abducted by a family member, and one was a victim of non-family abduction.
It is reported that 14 of the rescued children were found outside of the city where they were initially reported missing, with the youngest child being just 5 months old. More than half of the missing children, approximately 57%, were found within seven days of the USMS getting involved in their cases.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland expressed his gratitude towards the U.S. Marshals Service and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for their dedicated efforts in locating these critically missing children. The operation was executed in various locations including Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, and New York City, with the assistance of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Many of the rescued children were found in challenging circumstances, including cases of child sex trafficking, exploitation, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and suffering from medical or mental health conditions. Despite the challenging nature of the cases, the USMS remained committed to their mission of locating and recovering critically missing children.
Throughout the operation, several heart-wrenching stories emerged, such as the rescue of a 16-year-old girl from Michigan who was being controlled and abused by an adult man. The USMS successfully apprehended the perpetrator and rescued the child from the abusive situation. In another instance, a 15-year-old girl who had fallen victim to human trafficking in Florida was located and rescued by USMS and local law enforcement.
The USMS emphasized that the mission of locating and recovering missing children is one of their top priorities, as there are still thousands of children in the country who are missing and at risk. The success of “Operation We Will Find You 2” highlights the importance of collaboration between law enforcement agencies and organizations dedicated to child safety.
Fox News Digital reached out to the USMS for further comment on the operation but did not receive an immediate response. Greg Wehner, a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital, can be contacted for story tips at Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.