A successful U.S. Marshals Service operation rescued 45 missing children and over 100 human trafficking survivors.
A total of 76 missing and exploited children cases were “cleared” in southern Ohio and southern West Virginia, according to a statement from the Marshals Service’s office, and 45 of those were resolved “physical recovery.”
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said the operation was the largest in the state’s history.
“Our Human Trafficking task forces — local law enforcement teaming up with the state — conducted a massive statewide sting last week,” Yost tweeted Monday. “Operation Autumn Hope is the largest single HT operation in state history. Our goal: an Ohio where no human is bought or sold.”
Our Human Trafficking task forces — local law enforcement teaming up with the state — conducted a massive statewide sting last week.
Operation Autumn Hope is the largest single HT operation in state history. Our goal: an Ohio where no human is bought or sold.
Details at 10
— Dave Yost (@Yost4Ohio) October 26, 2020
A total of 179 arrests were made during the operation.
“Among those missing included a 15-year-old girl missing from Cleveland whose recovery linked her and other possible victims to an individual in Columbus suspected of human trafficking; a 15-year-old male with two warrants who is a suspect in multiple shootings and a homicide; and a 14-year-old girl who was reported missing by the Lancaster Police Department who was recovered in Columbus within six hours of being reported missing,” Yost’s office said.
Earlier this year, the Marshals Service recovered 39 missing children and arrested nine people during a two-week operation in Georgia.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Ohio attorney general’s office regarding the 31 children who were “cleared” but not counted among those “physically recovered.”
