Eight endangered children are back in safe hands after a focused recovery sweep across Oʻahu last weekend under an operation dubbed Shine the Light. The youths, ages 13 to 17, were taken into protective custody and connected with emergency, trauma-informed services. Authorities say two of the children had been missing for more than a year, and follow-up investigations are still underway.
Multiagency Sweep Targets High-Risk Runaways
The Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General and the Department of Human Services led the operation, working with the FBI and local law enforcement to track down high-risk runaways. As reported by Maui Now, partner agencies included the Honolulu Police Department, the Department of Law Enforcement, U.S. Marshals, the U.S. Secret Service, Army Criminal Investigation Division, Hale Kipa and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The sweep, carried out during National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, resulted in the recovery of eight endangered children, and criminal and trafficking investigations remain active.
Trafficking Risk and National Data
The Oʻahu operation unfolds against a backdrop of rising concern over child trafficking across the country. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports receiving more than 113,500 possible child-sex-trafficking reports in 2025. Of roughly 32,000 missing-child cases that year, about one in seven was believed to involve trafficking, and 17% of children reported missing from child-welfare placements were likely trafficking victims. Those figures help explain why targeted sweeps often zero in on youth who run from care, according to NCMEC.
Program History and Previous Sweeps
Operation Shine the Light launched in 2020 under the Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Missing Child Center-Hawaiʻi, with the goal of locating and protecting foster youth and other at-risk runaways. The state outlined the initiative and its network of partners in a 2025 news release, and an October sweep previously covered by Hoodline recovered 10 missing youth, underscoring that this is a recurring, statewide effort rather than a one-off push.
Reporting Rules For Children In Care
Under federal law, any missing or abducted child in state care must be reported to both law enforcement and NCMEC immediately, and no later than 24 hours after the agency learns the child is missing. That requirement comes from the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act of 2014. The reporting and screening rules are designed to move investigations quickly and connect highly vulnerable children with specialized services, according to 42 U.S.C. § 671.
How To Report Tips And Get Help
Anyone with information about a missing child or possible exploitation is urged to contact local police, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678), or the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services hotlines: child abuse or neglect at 808-832-5300 and child trafficking at 808-832-1999 on Oʻahu. DHS maintains 24/7 reporting numbers and local resources for families, and investigators say any video, photos or digital leads can help active cases, according to the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services and NCMEC.
Officials emphasize that Operation Shine the Light centers on safety and trauma-informed care, pairing each recovery with immediate medical and social-service support while investigations continue. Law enforcement is asking anyone with tips to step forward so agencies can keep disrupting exploitation networks and keep keiki safe.
