US Marshals find 225 missing kids as young as 6 months in massive operation

May 30, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Stacey Chamberlain (Writer/Producer/Editor)

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225 missing children were found by the U.S. Marshals Service in a 10-month sting that spanned the nation. During the operation, officials recovered 169 children and safely located 56. The children were either runaways or had been abducted. The youngest child found was only 6 months old.

The agency said the children were challenging recovery cases due to high-risk factors like sexual abuse, physical abuse and medical or mental health conditions.

The multi-state operation, conducted with the help of state and local agencies, was dubbed “We Will Find You.” It is the first nationwide missing child operation focused on geographical areas with high clusters of critically missing kids.

Data released shows that 86% of the children were endangered runaways. 9% were family abductions and 5% were considered otherwise missing.

42 children were found outside the city they went missing in. 10 of those 42 were found in Mexico and 13 of them were found in California.

“Another success other than finding 200 missing children was the relationships we built and there are people out there that care and that want to try to make a difference in this child’s life,” said Senior Inspector Laura Tierney with the U.S Marshals Service Missing Child Unit.

28 cases are now being further investigated for crimes that include drugs, weapons, sex trafficking and sex offender violations.

Tags: Children, U.S. Marshals Service

KARAH RUCKER: 225 MISSING CHILDREN WERE FOUND BY THE U-S MARSHALS SERVICE IN A 10-MONTH STING THAT SPANNED THE NATION. DURING THE OPERATION, OFFICIALS RECOVERED 169 CHILDREN AND SAFELY LOCATED 56. THE CHILDREN WERE RUNAWAYS OR HAD BEEN ABDUCTED. THE YOUNGEST WAS ONLY SIX MONTHS OLD.

THE AGENCY SAID THE CHILDREN WERE CHALLENGING-RECOVERY CASES DUE TO HIGH-RISK FACTORS LIKE SEXUAL ABUSE, PHYSICAL ABUSE AND MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS.

THE MULTI-STATE OPERATION – CONDUCTED WITH THE HELP OF STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES – WAS DUBBED ‘WE WILL FIND YOU.’ IT IS THE FIRST NATIONWIDE MISSING CHILD OPERATION FOCUSED ON GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS WITH HIGH CLUSTERS OF CRITICALLY MISSING KIDS.

DATA RELEASED SHOWS THAT 86% OF THE CHILDREN WERE ENDANGERED RUNAWAYS. 9% WERE FAMILY ABDUCTIONS – AND 5% WERE CONSIDERED OTHERWISE MISSING.

42 CHILDREN WERE FOUND OUTSIDE THE CITY THEY WENT MISSING IN.

10 OF THOSE 42 WERE FOUND IN MEXICO AND 13 OF THEM WERE FOUND IN CALIFORNIA.

LAURA TIERNEY | SENIOR INSPECTOR, USMS: “Another success other than finding 200 missing children was the relationships we built and there are people out there that care and that want to try to make a difference in this child’s life.”

28 CASES ARE NOW BEING FURTHER INVESTIGATED FOR CRIMES THAT INCLUDE DRUGS, WEAPONS, SEX TRAFFICKING AND SEX OFFENDER VIOLATIONS.