U.S. Marshals rescued eight more missing children during a five-day operation near Indianapolis, which resulted in the arrest of an individual on charges that include parental kidnapping.
The unnamed individual also faces possession of weapons and intimidation charges, officials said.
The rescue follows a similar operation a week earlier when 39 missing children in Georgia were recovered safely during “Operation Not Forgotten.”
In that operation, authorities rescued 26 children and safely located 13 others.
Earlier, authorities recovered 25 missing and endangered children in Ohio during the Marshals Service’s “Operation Safety Net,” a successful 20-day mission.
The Black Press of America has regularly chronicled missing children’s plight, particularly African–American girls who have received little media attention.
The latest rescue, dubbed “Operation Homecoming,” saw the safe return of children between 6 and 17, authorities noted in a news release.
“They are considered to be some of the most at-risk and challenging recovery cases in the area,” The Marshals Service said in the release.
The Indiana Department of Child Services took custody of the children.
Federal authorities noted that they worked with groups including the Indianapolis police and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
“The Marshals are committed to assisting state and local agencies with locating and recovering endangered missing children to help prevent their falling victim to crimes of violence and exploitation,” said Dan McClain, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Indiana.
“The message that we wish to convey to the missing children and their families is that we will use every resource at our disposal to find you,” he said.
No further details about the children or the circumstances were released.
