31 missing children recovered in Dallas-Fort Worth area during human trafficking operation



The U.S. Marshals Service and Homeland Security Investigations teamed up with four police departments in Texas for "Operation Missing in the Metroplex" to crack down on human trafficking. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas announced on Wednesday that 31 missing children from the Dallas-Fort Worth area were recovered during the monthlong operation.

The missing and exploited children were located by the federal agencies with the assistance of the Arlington Police Department, the Dallas Police Department, the Fort Worth Police Department, and the Grand Prairie Police Department.

At least seven of the 31 children were underage girls, who had "ties to sex trafficking." Two of the female minors were recovered during prostitution stings, according to the Department of Justice.

"To observe law enforcement partnerships and community concerns culminate into such a successful recovery outcome is rewarding," said acting United States Marshal Quintella Downs-Bradshaw. "Victims should know they are not forgotten, there is hope and a way to return home."

"While this joint operation lasted approximately 30 days, HSI Dallas will continue working relentlessly to identify and recover missing children who become vulnerable to human traffickers across the North Texas region," noted HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin. "Our continued collaboration with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners and non-governmental organizations is vital to combatting this global epidemic."

Dallas Police Department Chief of Police Eddie Garcia added, "We are grateful to be a part of a coalition of extraordinary law enforcement agencies who were dedicated in reuniting these children with their loved ones. It is our hope that each of them will be able to put this traumatic experience behind them and move forward to have a happy and productive life."

"We will continue to work with local, state, and federal partners to identify and rescue missing children," said Arlington Chief of Police Al Jones. "These kids and teens represent some of our most vulnerable populations where adults try to prey on their innocence. We will not rest until every child is located safe and someone is held accountable."

Fort Worth Police Department Chief Neil Noakes stated, "It is imperative that we continue to work with our partners to protect the most vulnerable members of our community, our children. We value our state and federal partnerships and were honored to be included as part of 'Operation Missing in the Metroplex.' We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partnerships in locating missing children and reuniting them with their families. Human trafficking is a serious issue and we will not rest until our most vulnerable population are safe."

In recent months, there have been several successful campaigns by the U.S. Marshals Service and local police to recover missing and endangered children.

"Operation Volunteer Strong" was a joint mission by the Marshals, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Children's Service that rescued 150 missing children in Tennessee earlier this month.

Last month, "Operation Broken Hearts" ended with 37 people being apprehended in the Phoenix area for alleged child sex crimes and human trafficking.

In January, which was National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, "Operation Reclaim & Rebuild" resulted in the arrests of 64 people for alleged sex crimes in Riverside, California.

Also in January, multi-agency "Operation Lost Angels" led to the rescue of 33 missing children in California.

In November, U.S. Marshals located 27 missing children in Virginia during "Operation Find Our Children."

In October, U.S. Marshals announced the recovery of 45 endangered children, plus the arrests of 178 suspects in Ohio and West Virginia during "Operation Autumn Hope."

The U.S. Marshals Service found 11 missing New Orleans children in October, two of whom were said to be in "extreme danger."

In September, 35 missing children were recovered in Ohio by U.S. Marshals in "Operation Safety Net."

Marshals announced in September that eight "highly endangered" missing children were rescued during "Operation Homecoming" in Indiana.

In August, "Operation Not Forgotten" resulted in the discovery of 39 missing children in Florida and Georgia. Law enforcement said 15 of the missing kids were victims of sex trafficking.

150 missing children rescued in Tennessee during Operation Volunteer Strong



A monthslong, multi-agency operation has recovered 150 missing and endangered children in Tennessee. The recovery of the rescued children was announced Wednesday during a news conference at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation headquarters in Nashville.

"Operation Volunteer Strong" was a joint mission by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Department of Children's Service, and the U.S. Marshals Service that first started last fall. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided research and analytical support for the operation.

After months of planning, the teams began pursuing leads on 240 missing children on Jan. 4 in three regions: East, Middle, and West Tennessee. Eight of the missing children from Tennessee were found in other states.

Law enforcement recovered 150 juveniles, ranging in age from 3 to 17. One of the kids was rescued during an active kidnapping investigation, which resulted in the arrest of a suspect.

Five of the recovered children were identified as possible human trafficking victims, which sparked investigations by law enforcement. U.S. Marshal Denny W. King told WTVF that one recovered child had been missing for 460 days.

Two adults with outstanding warrants were apprehended during the investigation.

There are still 90 missing children, and authorities are actively trying to find them.

"This work is transformational, we cannot stop. And there is nothing more worthwhile," Tennessee Department of Children's Service Commissioner Jennifer Nichols said.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) commended the agents involved in Operation Volunteer Strong.

"This operation had miraculous results, and I'm glad these children are reunited with their families. Sadly, this is a reminder there are sick and twisted people out there looking to exploit minors," Burchett said. "I know the great folks who made Operation Volunteer Strong a success will continue their important work and help put a stop to this criminal activity."

"Operation Volunteer Strong is a great example of how working together, we can find missing children and get them the help they need to move forward," said John Clark, president and chief executive officer of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. "We're thrilled to see so many missing children recovered in Tennessee, and we thank all the agencies involved for their dedication to child protection."

David Jolley, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Tennessee, released a statement.

"The U.S. Marshals are committed to assisting state and local agencies with locating and recovering endangered missing children to help prevent their falling victim to crimes of violence and exploitation," Jolley said. "We will use every resource at our disposal to help find these missing children."

"I hope this operation changes the course for 150 young lives and leads them to the path of opportunities every child deserves," said Tyreece Miller, U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Tennessee. "Our efforts should also serve notice to those who prey on society's most vulnerable that these children are not forgotten. Investigations will continue and the next knock at the door could be for you."

Numerous operations have been successful recently in rescuing endangered children and arresting suspected sex traffickers.

Last month, Operation Broken Hearts resulted in 37 people being arrested in the Phoenix area for alleged child sex crimes and human trafficking.

During National Human Trafficking Awareness Month in January, "Operation Reclaim & Rebuild" resulted in the apprehension of 64 people for alleged sex crimes in Riverside, California.

"Operation Lost Angels," a multi-agency human trafficking investigation led by the FBI in January, ended in the rescue of 33 missing children in California.

In November, Marshals recovered 27 missing children in Virginia during "Operation Find Our Children."

In October, Marshals announced the recovery of 45 endangered children as well as the arrests of 178 suspects in Ohio and West Virginia during "Operation Autumn Hope."

On Oct. 1, the U.S. Marshals Service located 11 children in New Orleans, two of whom were said to be in "extreme danger."

On Sept. 21, 35 missing children were recovered in Ohio by the U.S. Marshals during "Operation Safety Net."

On Sept. 4, Marshals announced that eight "highly endangered" missing children were rescued during "Operation Homecoming" in Indiana.

On Aug. 27, "Operation Not Forgotten" led to the discovery of 39 missing children in Florida and Georgia. Law enforcement stated 15 of the missing kids were victims of sex trafficking.

US Marshals rescue 11 missing runaway children in New Orleans; 2 boys were in 'extreme danger'



In "Operation Summer Rescue 2020," the U.S. Marshals Service focused on tracking down missing runaway children originally from New Orleans. During the two-month operation funded by the agency's Missing Child Unit, U.S. Marshals rescued 11 endangered children, including two boys who were reportedly in extreme danger.

Of the 11 children located, one of them was a 16-year-old boy was found in New Orleans. Authorities believe that the teen was involved in illegal gang activity, including the possession of firearms.

U.S. Marshals tracked down a missing 13-year-old girl, who was found in Nashville, Tennessee. The recovery of the girl included the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service of Middle District Tennessee Task Force, Metro Nashville Police Department, and the FBI New Orleans Field Office, according to the U.S. Marshals press release.

Operation Summer Rescue 2020, which took place between Aug. 1 through Sept. 30, also made several arrests during the rescues. An adult male was arrested for aggravated statutory rape.

A mother wanted on a first-degree murder warrant out of Mississippi was apprehended. She allegedly murdered her 11-year-old son at a hotel in Laurel, Mississippi. U.S. Marshals recovered her two other sons, ages 6 and 9, who were considered to be in "extreme danger" and an Amber Alert had been issued to locate them.

"This is a very important mission that the USMS has been tasked by Congress to oversee, as the safety of children across the country is paramount to this nation's future," said U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Louisiana Scott Illing. "While 11 recoveries may not seem high, this work, which is time consuming, was accomplished while also running our normal day-to-day violent felony offender investigations and sex offender fugitive operations in the district, along with our other judicial missions."

In the past month and a half, the U.S. Marshals Service has rescued nearly 100 missing and endangered children.

Last week, U.S. Marshals reported that they had rescued 35 missing children during "Operation Safety Net" in Ohio.

On Sept. 17, U.S. Marshals Service wrapped up "Operation Triple Beam," a 60-day mission to reduce violent gang crime in Oklahoma City. U.S. Marshals rescued five missing children, made 262 arrests, plus seized illegal firearms and narcotics.

On Sept. 4, the U.S. Marshals Service announced that they rescued eight "highly endangered" missing children in Indiana during "Operation Homecoming."

On Aug. 27, U.S. Marshals located 39 missing children in Georgia and Florida during "Operation Not Forgotten." Authorities said the children were between the ages of 3 to 17. Of the 39 endangered children, 15 were victims of sex trafficking.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement participated in a multi-agency operation last month that resulted in the arrest of five suspected child sexual predators. "Operation Home Alone 2" was able to successfully "target sexual predators who attempted to lure underage children with the intent of engaging in sexual activity."