US apprehends kidnapper, found 41 missing kids in a five-week raid
By Samuel Ogunsona
The United States of America (USA), Marshal service in collaboration with New York Police Department, (NYPD) and Homeland Security have located 41 missing children in New York City, NYC.
In a five-week operation named “Operation We Will Find You 2” was focused on finding “critically missing children” who were either coerced into criminal activities or sex trafficking, or were frequent runaways.
During the operation, three individuals were arrested, including a sex offender with local warrants and two others wanted on charges of robbery and parental kidnapping.
According to the marshals, the children were found in various locations, including random apartments, stairwells, and on the city streets.
Some of them had also lived in homeless shelters while others were from out-of-state and ended up in New York City.
“One of the suspects was apprehended after arriving on an international flight” officials stated.
Additionally, four cases involving alleged assault, rape, sex trafficking, and failure to register as a sex offender were referred to law enforcement agencies for further investigation.
The US Marshal for the Southern District of New York, Ralph Sozio, in a statement noted that the US Marshals Service has recovered more than 2,000 missing children since 2005.
He also emphasized the commitment to bring missing children home safely and the collaboration of law enforcement partners and community involvement in safeguarding children and bringing offenders to justice is paramount.
