‘Epidemic of missing children;’ U.S. Marshals help recover 35 missing kids in Northern Ohio

The U.S. Marshals Service says they completed a multi-jurisdiction operation that resulted in the recovery of 35 missing children from Northern Ohio.

“Operation We Will Find You,” a national missing child operation, worked in conjunction with federal, state, and local agencies to recover endangered missing children.

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The operation ran from March 1, 2023, until May 15, 2023 in major metropolitan areas of Cleveland, Toledo, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, and surrounding counties.

The operation led officers across Ohio, and even across the country to California, Arizona, and West Virginia.

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The whereabouts of all 35 children were unknown to authorities were unknown prior to the operation.

“The Marshals Service is fully committed to assisting federal, state, and local agencies with locating and recovering endangered missing children,” U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said “The main objective of Operation We Will Find You was to find as many critically missing children as possible. The epidemic of missing children in our country needs a spotlight, it needs our focus. We hope operations like this sharpen that focus. Every child deserves a safe environment to grow up in, and we are dedicated to helping provide that for the children and families in Northern Ohio.”