200 missing kids found in national operation, including in California

SAN FRANCISCO - A six-week national operation found 200 missing children across the U.S., including children from California.

Operation We Will Find You 2 (OWWFY2) is the second of its kind. The operation spanned May 20 to June 24.

A news release from the Department of Justice said the operation led to the recovery and removal of 123 children from dangerous situations, as well as another 77 missing children who were located and found in safe locations.

Out of the 200 children, 173 were endangered runaways, 25 were considered missing, a family member abducted one, and one was a non-family abduction.

Additionally, 14 of the recovered children were located outside the city where they were reported missing, and the youngest was 5 months old.

About 57% of the missing children were recovered within seven days of U.S. Marshals helping out with the cases.

The California operations took place in Stockton, San Joaquin County and Sacramento County. Cities in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, and Oregon, were also part of the operation.

U.S. Marshals said they targeted areas that had a high cluster of missing endangered children.

In California, U.S. Marshals highlighted a case in which they said a 17-year-old girl, who was reported missing on October 26, was rescued on May 30 from a motel in Oakland that is known for prostitution and trafficking. Authorities said the victim's older sister and a man were detained at the scene.

In Arizona, FOX 10 Phoenix reports there were 33 recoveries and 16 locates. U.S. Marshals told FOX 10 Phoenix that one victim missing from the Phoenix area appeared to have been trafficked in Los Angeles and Miami before being rescued in Michigan.

WATCH FOX 10 PHOENIX'S REPORT:

The first Operation We Will Find You located 225 missing children back in 2023, according to officials.

FOX 10 Phoenix and FOX News contributed to this report.