The Justice Department released the below information:
The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), along with federal, state, and
local agencies in seven federal judicial districts and geographical locations
across the United States, led a six-week national operation that resulted in
finding 200 critically missing children, which includes endangered runaways and
those abducted by noncustodial persons.
Operation We
Will Find You 2 (OWWFY2), the second-of-its-kind nationwide missing child
operation, was conducted from May 20 to June 24 and focused on geographical
areas with high clusters of critically missing children. Children who go
missing may be in serious danger and can be vulnerable to child sex
trafficking, abuse, exploitation, and other crimes against children.
With technical
assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC),
OWWFY2 resulted in the recovery and removal of 123 children from dangerous
situations. An additional 77 missing children were located and found to be in
safe locations, according to law enforcement or child welfare agencies. Of the
200 children found, 173 were endangered runaways, 25 were considered otherwise
missing, one was a family abduction, and one was a non-family abduction. The
youngest child recovered was five months old. 14 of the children were found
outside the city where they went missing. Additionally, of the missing children
recovered, 57% were recovered within seven days of the USMS assisting with the
case.
“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 of 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 U.S. Marshals Service is locating and recovering our
nation’s critically missing children,” said USMS Director Ronald L. Davis.
“This is one of our top priorities as there remain thousands of children still
missing and at risk.”
“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 President and CEO Michelle
DeLaune of NCMEC. “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.”
The operation
was conducted from the following locations: District of Arizona (Phoenix,
Glendale, Goodyear, Tucson, South Tucson, and Pima counties); Eastern District
of California (San Joaquin County, Stockton, and Sacramento County); Southern
District of Florida (Broward, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade
counties); Western District of Michigan (Kent, Lake, Ingham, and Ottawa
counties); Eastern District of North Carolina (New Hanover, Brunswick, Harnett,
Onslow, Pitt, Wake, Johnston, Robeson, Cumberland, Sampson, Nash, and Pender
counties); Southern and Eastern Districts of New York (New York City); and
District of Oregon (Multnomah, Washington, and Deschutes counties, as well as
Portland and Eugene, and the Warm Springs Reservation).
The goal of
OWWFY2 was to highlight partnerships amongst government and non-government
agencies to develop a multi-disciplinary team whose focus was to pull together
resources to find critically missing children and to bring more attention to
the epidemic of missing children in America. During the operation, the USMS
worked with their respective federal, state, and local law enforcement
partners, NCMEC, the Department of Children and Family Services, and other
agencies to safely find missing children at risk of endangerment. These missing
children were considered some of the most challenging recovery cases in the
area, based on indications of high-risk factors such as victimization of child
sex trafficking, child exploitation, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and medical
or mental health conditions. In addition, other children who had been reported
missing were located at the request of law enforcement to ensure they were safe
and to confirm the child’s location.
The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 enhanced the USMS’ authority to assist law enforcement with recovering endangered missing children, regardless of whether a fugitive or sex offender was involved. The USMS established a Missing Child Unit to oversee and manage the implementation of its enhanced authority under the Act. Members of the USMS Sex Offender Investigations Branch, Behavioral Analysis Unit, and Missing Child Unit began training personnel in the participating locations months before the operation to ensure that case selection, vetting, and all pre-operational requirements were met.
Western District of Michigan:
On Jan. 11, a
16-year-old female child was reported missing from her home in Edwardsburg,
Michigan, by her legal guardian. Information obtained through interviews showed
the child was likely with a 30-year-old adult male somewhere in the state of
Indiana. The investigation showed the child was likely being controlled
and abused by the adult male. During the investigation, operation
personnel learned information that the child had either attempted to get away
from the adult male multiple times or the child wanted to do so. The child was
in a difficult and dangerous situation, especially since she had traveled
across state lines and was now in a new state, a long distance from where she
was first reported missing. The adult male had recent photos of cash and
firearms on his social media profile, including one photo where the adult male
is apparently pointing a handgun with an extended magazine at the missing
child. USMS identified multiple warrants for the adult male from multiple
states, including Michigan. The USMS determined a likely location for the
adult male and the child in Indiana. A collateral lead request was sent
by the Western District of Michigan to the Northern District of Indiana and the
Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force. 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 before his eventual
arrest. USMS personnel located the child safely inside the apartment and
released her to child protective services.
Southern District of Florida:
On May 13, a
15-year-old female was reported missing by her legal guardian. Information
indicated that she might be staying at other people's houses or sleeping in
parks in Miami-Dade, Florida. During the investigation, it was discovered the
child had become a victim of human trafficking in the Miami-Dade area. On June
7, personnel from the U.S. Marshals Service, in collaboration with detectives
from the Miami Police Department, located the child in an apartment complex in
Miami-Dade after an extensive investigative search throughout the city. Upon
being recovered, she was debriefed by Florida State Attorney’s Office Human
Trafficking personnel and subsequently returned to the Florida Department of
Child and Family Services custody.
District of Arizona:
On April 16, a
16-year-old was reported missing after she ran away from her group home in
Phoenix. The female has a history of being sex trafficked. The investigation
revealed the child was in Los Angeles, possibly being sex trafficked. The
suspected trafficker was murdered in Los Angeles on May 25. The child told a
family member she was going on vacation to Miami but when she got there her new
“trafficker” dropped her off at the beach and told her to make money. On June
11, the child was located by USMS in Flint, Michigan, in a hotel, and was taken
into custody on an outstanding arrest warrant for a probation violation. Her
male associate was arrested on local charges for driving without a license and
insurance. An additional 20-year-old female was identified in the hotel. The
suspected trafficking case was referred to Homeland Security Investigations and
they will continue to investigate the case.
New York/New Jersey Regional Task Force:
On Nov. 3,
2023, a 16-year-old female was reported in the National Crime Information
Center as missing from New York City, New York Administration for Children’s
Services (ACS), and was a prior victim of human trafficking. On May 1, 2024,
the New York City Police Department Missing Persons Unit (NYPD MPU) requested
USMS assistance in recovering the missing child. On June 3, New York USMS
Regional Fugitive Task Force Members executed two arrest warrants for a
27-year-old male who was the primary subject of an ongoing investigation into
the whereabouts of the missing minor who was being sexually exploited by the
adult male. Upon execution of the warrant, the child was found in the male’s
bedroom, and evidence of sexual exploitation was found at the premise. The
child was placed in the care of ACS and transported to the hospital for medical
treatment.
Eastern District of North Carolina:
On April 29, a
one-year-old was reported missing to the Raleigh, North Carolina, Police
Department (RPD), after her mother neglected to surrender her to the Department
of Social Services (DSS). The RPD requested assistance from the USMS in finding
the missing child. The child’s mother was previously convicted for her actions
in the strangulation, assault, and death of one of her children, a
four-year-old boy. Additionally, she was wanted on a felony probation violation
pertaining to the original charge of cruelty toward a child. On May 15, USMS
personnel and RPD personnel arrested the child’s mother without incident in
Raleigh. The missing one-year-old was subsequently safely recovered in Raleigh
by USMS investigators and handed over to DSS custody.
Eastern District of California:
On Oct. 26,
2023, a 17-year-old female was reported missing by her legal guardian.
Information obtained revealed that she was likely staying with her older adult
sister who was a known prostitute. The child’s older sister was recently
arrested and on pretrial release for Human Trafficking, Pimping, and Pandering.
On May 30, USMS personnel determined that the child and her adult sister were
staying at a known prostitution and trafficking motel in Oakland, California.
USMS personnel from the Eastern District of California coordinated with USMS
personnel in the Northern District of California to establish a location for
the child and her sister. Management at the hotel confirmed that both sisters
had two rooms and had been staying there for some time with an unknown adult
male. At one point, USMS observed the three individuals leave the rooms and
begin packing their car. Once inside the vehicle, the USMS was able to safely
move in and detain all three individuals. The child was then turned over to
authorities.
District of Oregon
On May 21, a
12-year-old female went missing from her family home in Portland, Oregon, and
had reported allegations of sexual abuse by family members. Law enforcement
officers contacted the child through her cell, and she agreed to meet them at a
grocery store in the Portland area. The officers received a call back from the
child and a friend stating that her father was trying to pull her into his car,
and she was scared. USMS investigators were able to intervene and separate the
endangered child from her father. The child told law enforcement that she had
been raped by two Hispanic males and that her father touched her
inappropriately. On May 24, the child was safely recovered and placed in a
foster home while the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) investigated
the allegations. Within 24 hours of being placed in foster care, the foster
family kicked the child out of their home. The child then called a Deputy U.S.
Marshal (DUSM) that had built rapport with her to ask for assistance. The DUSM
subsequently contacted DHS to report the incident. As a result, DHS placed the
child in a state-run shelter.
Additional
information about the USMS can be found at www.usmarshals.gov.
Updated July 1, 2024
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