PHOENIX — More than two dozen missing and endangered children were located during a three-week operation in the Valley, the U.S. Marshals Service announced Tuesday morning.
The Marshals Service partnered with multiple agencies and organizations for "Operation Desert Dawn," focused on locating youth at risk of exploitation, abuse, and human trafficking.
In three weeks in April, officials located 31 "critically missing children, including endangered runaways," according to the Marshals Service.
According to a press release, some of the victims who were safely located included:
- A 16-year-old female suspected of being a victim of sex trafficking in Glendale
- An 11-year-old female with mental health concerns
- A 16-year-old experiencing homelessness and substance use challenges
- A 17-year-old who had been missing from Phoenix for 18 months
- A 14-year-old missing from Phoenix, located in Tucson
- A 17-year-old female suspected of being a victim of sex trafficking in Phoenix
If you have any information about a missing or endangered child, officials ask you to contact local police or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
