Military Veterans and Patriots

Tag: Missing kids

  • 33 Missing Kids Found in California

    33 Missing Kids Found in California

    The FBI announced that 33 Missing and/or Exploited children were rescued in California in a multi-agency effort. Operation Lost Angels was launched on Jan. 11 and in addition to the recoveries, resulted in the arrest of a suspected human trafficker on state charges.

    During January—Human Trafficking Awareness Month—the FBI worked with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and more than two dozen law enforcement and non-governmental partners to identify, locate, and recover missing children, particularly those who have been or were suspected of being sexually exploited and/or trafficked.

    Of the 33 children recovered, eight were being sexually exploited at the time of recovery. Two were recovered multiple times during the operation while on the “track,” a common term used to describe a known location for commercial sex trafficking. It is not uncommon for victims who are rescued to return to commercial sex trafficking either voluntarily or by force, fraud, or coercion. This harmful cycle highlights the challenges victims face and those faced by law enforcement when attempting to keep victims from returning to an abusive situation. Victims may not self-identify as being trafficked or may not even realize they’re being trafficked.

    There have been a string of high profile operations focused on missing and exploited children in the past year.

    On Aug. 27, “Operation Not Forgotten” resulted in the discovery of 39 missing children in Georgia and Florida. Authorities said the children were between the ages of 3 to 17. Of the 39 endangered children, 15 were victims of sex trafficking.

    In early September, Marshals declared that they had rescued eight “highly endangered” missing children in Indiana during “Operation Homecoming.” On Sept. 17, U.S. Marshals Service executed “Operation Triple Beam,” a 60-day mission to decrease violent gang crime in Oklahoma City. U.S. Marshals made 262 arrests, seized illegal firearms and narcotics, as well as located five missing children. Later in September, U.S. Marshals rescued 35 missing children during “Operation Safety Net” in Ohio.

    In October, the Marshals Service announced they rescued 11 children in New Orleans, two of which were said to be in “extreme danger.” Later in the month the Marshals announced the recovery of 45 missing and endangered children in Ohio and West Virginia during “Operation Autumn Hope.” The operation led to 179 arrests that were made by the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force.

    In November, the U.S. Marshals rescued 27 missing children in Virginia during “Operation Find Our Children.”

  • Marshals Rescue 27 Missing Kids in Virginia

    Marshals Rescue 27 Missing Kids in Virginia

    The US Marshals Service announced they had rescued 27 missing children in a joint operation in Virginia. “Operation Find Our Children,” conducted throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia that resulted in the recovery of 27 missing children.

    The effort was led by deputy U.S. Marshals from the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, along with members of the U.S. Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and special agents, police officers and detectives from numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. More than 60 law enforcement investigators formed the primary team in Operation Find Our Children.  They were joined by several employees from the Virginia Department of Social Services and a team of medical professionals and experts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

    “I can think of no more critical or satisfying mission for a law enforcement officer, than rescuing an endangered child,” said Nick E. Proffitt, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia.  “This operation brought together a formidable team that was, and is, determined to come to the aid of our youth and bring to justice those among us that choose to prey on these vulnerable children.  I am proud of the Deputy Marshals in the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia and their partners for the work they accomplished this week – and the results speak for themselves; these 27 children are safe once again.  I am deeply humbled and highly honored that our team in Eastern Virginia is a continuing part of this critical Marshals Service mission.  We want the missing children across this great nation to know the U.S. Marshals Service will never stop looking for you, we will find you.”

    The U.S. Marshals Service is leading the way in a nationwide effort to rescue and recover missing and exploited children, and aid in the prevention of human trafficking.  Since 2005, the U.S. Marshals Service has recovered more than 2,000 missing children.  Over the past five years, the agency has recovered missing children in 75 percent of the cases it has received.  Of those recovered, 72 percent were recovered within seven days.