(DailyChive.com) – The United States Marshal Service (USMS) conducted a nationwide operation to recover 200 missing children, most of whom were at the mercy of human and sex traffickers.
The sting operation, named “Operation We Will Find You 2”, was the second of its kind and lasted nearly six weeks before reaching its conclusion in the last week of June.
Multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies cooperated with the USMS in carrying out the operation alongside the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and Child Protective Services.
The operation was conducted in seven judicial districts and helped in the recovery of 123 children from “dangerous situations” and 77 others from safe locations. The victims were recovered from across the country, including places like Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, New York City, Oregon, and California.
According to the USMS press release, the youngest victim was only five months old, and multiple children were either exploited or were the victims of human trafficking in different parts of the country. Nearly 57% of cases were resolved within one week of USMS involvement in the cases, the press release added.
In one specific case from Michigan, the USMS recovered a 16-year-old girl who went missing earlier this year and was eventually found in the custody of an adult man in Indiana, who used to point firearms at the girl and physically abuse her.
Another 15-year-old girl from Florida, who was the victim of human trafficking, was found by the USMS and handed over to the Child and Family Services Department for rehabilitation.
Ronald Davis, the USMS director, stated that finding the missing children is the top priority of the department, and there are thousands of children who are still missing and need immediate assistance.
Meanwhile, US Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the families of the victims and the children themselves go through unparalleled trauma in these circumstances, adding that he appreciates the efforts of the USMS and NCMEC for helping the troubled children.
It remains unclear how many suspects were arrested during the operation.
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