US Marshals find 79 missing, endangered children in Ohio operation

A monthlong operation led by the U.S. Marshals Service found 79 reported missing and endangered children across Ohio, officials announced on Sept. 8, calling it the "largest missing child operation" in state history.

The children, ranging in age from 6 to 17, were found during "Operation Meridian," a monthlong effort conducted in August, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. The agency, which is usually tasked with finding and arresting fugitives, worked with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate missing and endangered children across Ohio.

The operation focused on cases involving children reported missing as runaways or believed to be victims of sex trafficking, abuse, neglect or other forms of endangerment, the U.S. Marshals Service said in a news release. Investigators followed leads across jurisdictional lines in Ohio, locating children from communities throughout the state, including some found as far away as Georgia.

"The United States Marshals Service, through its fugitive task forces, locates and arrests the most violent fugitives in our communities," U.S. Marshal Michael Black said in a statement. "Using the same resources and methods, we have the ability to seek and recover missing and endangered children."

The operation involved dozens of agencies, including local police…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/