The U.S. Marshals Service announced on Monday that it had located 200 critically missing children nationwide during a six-week operation called “Operation We Will Find You 2,” conducted from May 20 to June 24. The operation targeted areas with high concentrations of critically missing children.

During the operation, the USMS rescued 123 children from dangerous situations, and 77 children were found in safe locations. Among the recovered children, 177 were endangered runaways, while the remaining 23 included cases of family abductions and non-family abductions.

According to the USMS, these missing children were among the most challenging recovery cases, involving risks such as child sex trafficking, exploitation, abuse (both sexual and physical), and medical or mental health issues. Additionally, law enforcement located other missing children upon request to ensure their safety and confirm their whereabouts.

Fourteen of the recovered children were found outside the cities where they were reported missing. Over half of the children (57%) were located within seven days of the USMS becoming involved in their cases. The youngest child recovered was just 5 months old.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland exp

ressed gratitude to the U.S. Marshals Service and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for their dedicated efforts in finding these critically missing children and ensuring their safety.

The operation involved federal, state, and local agencies across seven federal judicial districts and geographical locations, with technical support provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It was conducted in the District of Arizona, Eastern District of California, Southern District of Florida, Western District of Michigan, Eastern District of North Carolina, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and District of Oregon.

According to U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald L. Davis, locating and recovering critically missing children is one of the agency’s highest priorities. He emphasized that despite the recovery efforts, thousands of children still remain missing and at risk.

Operation We Will Find You 2 was the second operation of its kind, following a similar effort in 2023 that resulted in the recovery or safe location of 225 endangered missing children.

The USMS stated that the primary objective of the latest operation was “to underscore collaborations among government and non-governmental organizations in forming a multi-disciplinary team dedicated to pooling resources for locating critically missing children and raising awareness about the issue of missing children in the United States.”