JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Operation Northern Lights led to the recovery of 43 missing children from 14 counties in North Florida during December.
The operation, which involved more than 80 personnel from 25 different agencies, was designed to locate critically missing youth at risk of violence, substance abuse and exploitation. The ages of the children ranged from 1 to 17 years.
The operation not only succeeded in finding missing children locally but also across state lines in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
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A 13-year-old missing from Suwannee County was located in Jacksonville after having been missing for 8 months.
Over the course of the two-week operation, 9 arrests were made.
Greg Leljedal, Acting U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Florida, said, “This was the most successful missing child operation ever conducted in Northern Florida. Because of the tireless dedication of the U.S. Marshals and our law enforcement partners, 43 endangered children will now be home safe for the holidays.”
Since the introduction of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, the U.S. Marshals Service has enhanced its capacity to assist in the recovery of missing children. It has located or recovered more than 3,967 missing children.
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