In a significant national push to address the crisis of missing children in the United States, the U.S. Marshals Service, in collaboration with multiple agencies, has successfully located 200 missing children across various states. The six-week-long endeavor, dubbed Operation We Will Find You 2 (OWWFY2), took place from May 20 to June 24, concentrating on high-risk areas known for clusters of critically missing children. According to a press release by the U.S. Department of Justice, the recovered children included endangered runaways, victims of child abductions, and those susceptible to exploitation, including sex trafficking.
The coordinated efforts to better protect and swiftly recover missing children have dramatically illustrated the pervasive issue that faces communities nationwide. "There are no words to describe the terror felt by missing children, their families, and their communities," Attorney General Merrick B. Garland expressed in the statement. Operation OWWFY2 was supported by technical assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), resulting in 123 children being removed from dangerous circumstances. The release also noted that 77 were found in safe conditions and that significantly, 57% of those found were recovered within seven days of the Marshals' involvement.
Among the harrowing cases, a 16-year-old in Michigan was rescued from an abusive situation involving an adult male with a criminal background, and a child in Florida, a victim of human trafficking, was located in Miami-Dade. Moreover, in Arizona, after the homicide of a suspected trafficker, a 16-year-old with a previous history of being trafficked was found safe in Michigan, and in New York, a 16-year-old girl was rescued from sexual exploitation. These case descriptions provided by the DOJ highlight the diverse challenges faced in these operations.
The successful operation spanned multiple districts, including regions in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, and Oregon. A collaborative, multisector approach was pivotal to achieving the results, including interventions to not merely recover but also to provide support for victims. The USMS Director Ronald L. Davis stated, "One of the most sacred missions of U.S. Marshals Service is locating and recovering our nation’s critically missing children." This initiative represents a part of broader efforts to more effectively bring together resources to find and aid critically missing children, as the release highlighted the multitude of challenges, such as trafficking, exploitation, and abuse that these children are often subject to.
In a statement, President and CEO Michelle DeLaune of NCMEC lauded the effort: "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." The operation's impact extends beyond the individual recoveries, emphasizing the persistent, nationwide fight against child endangerment and the need for vigilance and collaboration among agencies to combat the issue.
