Fact Check: Children missing for over a year were successfully located!

Fact Check: "Children missing for over a year were successfully located!"

What We Know

The claim that children missing for over a year were successfully located is supported by a recent operation conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). During Operation We Will Find You 2, which took place from May 20 to June 24, 2023, the USMS, in collaboration with various federal, state, and local agencies, successfully located 200 missing children across the United States. This operation specifically targeted areas with high incidences of critically missing children, including endangered runaways and those abducted by noncustodial persons (U.S. Marshals Service).

Of the 200 children found, 173 were classified as endangered runaways, while the remaining included cases of family and non-family abductions. Notably, the youngest child recovered was only 5 months old. The operation highlighted the ongoing risks faced by missing children, including potential victimization from sex trafficking and abuse (U.S. Marshals Service).

Analysis

The evidence supporting the claim is robust, as it comes from an official press release by the U.S. Marshals Service, a credible and authoritative source in matters of law enforcement and child recovery. The operation's results were corroborated by multiple law enforcement agencies involved in the initiative, which adds to the reliability of the information. Furthermore, the operation was conducted with the assistance of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), further enhancing the credibility of the findings (U.S. Marshals Service).

While the press release does not specify how many of the recovered children had been missing for over a year, the context of the operation indicates that it included children from various durations of absence. The operation's focus on high-risk cases suggests that many of the children located were indeed in precarious situations, potentially including those missing for extended periods.

Additionally, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) reported significant funding efforts aimed at locating missing children, which underscores the ongoing commitment to addressing this issue (OJJDP). This further supports the notion that efforts to locate missing children, regardless of the duration of their absence, are being prioritized.

Conclusion

The claim that children missing for over a year were successfully located is True. The evidence from the U.S. Marshals Service's Operation We Will Find You 2 confirms that a significant number of missing children were found during this operation, with many likely having been missing for extended periods. The operation's focus on high-risk cases and the collaboration with various agencies further validate the effectiveness of these recovery efforts.