U.S. Marshals Locate 27 Missing Children

A Department of Justice press release from October 30, 2020, applauded the conclusion of Operation Find Our Children, which resulted in the location of 27 missing children across Virginia.

This effort was led by U.S. Marshals Service with assistance from employees from the Virginia Department of Social Services and a team of medical professionals and experts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen said in the same release, “The Department of Justice is dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable children in our society and ‘Operation Find Our Children’ does just that.  While this Virginia operation is the most recent recovery of endangered and missing children led by the U.S. Marshals Service this year, we have also recovered more than 440 kids in Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, Louisiana and other states.  Because of this initiative, the recovered children are now out of harm’s way.”

Since 2005, the U.S. Marshals Service has recovered over 2000 missing children and has a 75% success rate over the past five years, according to the release.

Nick E. Proffitt, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia said of the rescue, “This operation brought together a formidable team that was, and is, determined to come to the aid of our youth and bring to justice those among us that choose to prey on these vulnerable children.  I am deeply humbled and highly honored that our team in Eastern Virginia is a continuing part of this critical Marshals Service mission.  We want the missing children across this great nation to know the U.S. Marshals Service will never stop looking for you, we will find you.”