A coordinated five-week investigation by the US Marshals Service, NYPD, and Homeland Security Investigations resulted in the discovery of dozens of missing children and the arrest of three adults, including a sex offender, according to law enforcement sources.
During “Operation We Will Find You 2,” which lasted more than a month and ended on Monday, authorities located 41 “critically missing children” including some who were forced into criminal activity or sex trafficking by adults or who were habitual runaways, according to the marshals.
According to officials, the children—some of whom had mental illnesses—were discovered living on the streets of New York City, sometimes camped out in stairwells or inside of random residences. Some came from out of state and ended up in the Big Apple, while others had previously been in the city’s foster system or homeless shelters.
Two more suspects who were sought on suspicion of robbery and parental abduction were also apprehended, along with a sexual offender who had local warrants. According to marshals, four instances involving suspected assault, rape, sex trafficking, and failure to register as a sex offender were forwarded to law enforcement for additional investigation.
“There is an epidemic of missing children in the United States,” Vincent DeMarco, the US Marshal for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement. “Missing children must be reported and found quickly because they are vulnerable to sex trafficking, exploitation and can suffer unimaginable harm. I am very proud of the results of this operation and the impact it will have on the children’s lives.”
“We are committed to leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to bring missing children home safely,” Ralph Sozio, the US Marshal for the Southern District of New York, added. “Through the collaboration of our law enforcement partners and community involvement, we aim to make a meaningful impact in safeguarding our children and bringing anyone who harms them to justice.”
The operation reportedly involved marshals from the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, as well as agents from the Human Trafficking and Missing Persons Unit of the NYPD, Special Agents from the HSI New York Human Trafficking Task Force, and members of the New York / New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force.
