US Marshals Rescue 39 Missing Children During Two-Week ‘Operation Not Forgotten’

Sep 02, 2020 by apost team

2020 has been a difficult year, to say the least. Between a pandemic and the heightened political tension in this country, it has been hard to find a silver lining. It'd be great to get just one little beacon of light into this very dark year. Luckily for all of us, there are many people out there still trying to do good and be the heroes we need during a difficult time.

Recently a story emerged that has captured the hearts of many people across the country. During two weeks, a team of US Marshals found 39 children and brought them to safety.

Unfortunately, crimes like sex trafficking, kidnapping, sexual violence, and custodial interference are all crimes that are inflicted on children. They are among the most vulnerable members of our society and are often preyed upon by predators and the criminal element in our society.

When many children fall victim to these crimes, it is often feared that they will never be reunited with their families ever again. It can leave families devastated and without any idea if their child is okay. Often, even law enforcement is left without any clues.

The United States Marshal Service (USMS) is not one to quit. They have a Missing Child Unit and they were not about to sit back and let innocent children be gone forever. According to a press release by USMS, 'Operation Not Forgotten' was conceived and its goal was to bring home missing children from the areas of Macon and Atlanta. The USMS wanted to send the message that they would never stop looking for any child that was missing.

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While the goal was noble, everyone involved with the mission knew that it could be dangerous. Many of the rescues they were attempting were going to be high-risk and challenging. They were going to be attempting to save many child victims of sex trafficking, exploitation, and abuse.

It was known that many of the children they encountered were bound to be dealing with several medical and psychological issues. Despite the risks involved, those involved with the mission knew that saving the children from these conditions was paramount.

The USMS investigators did their due diligence in confirming the locations of each child being saved to ensure their safety. All the safeguards had been established to give the team the best shot at safely rescuing these victimized children, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.

Operation Not Forgotten was a huge success. Not only did the USMS succeed in tracking down many of the fugitives and criminals who committed these acts, but they were also able to get help for the victims. The press release added that the 39 children they rescued were able to get the medical assistance they needed and be reunited with their families because of these modern-day heroes. Since 2019, the USMS has assisted in the rescue of 295 children.

Many of those who were involved with Operation Not Forgotten reported being touched emotionally by the work they were doing. While they admitted that it felt good to bring the perpetrators to justice, it paled in comparison to the fact that they had just saved a child. In a statement, the USMS said that they would do what was needed to protect these children and get them the assistance they need.

Stories like this let you know that there are still people out there working to make the world a better place. These heroes selflessly put their safety on the line to be able to save children from unspeakable violence.

How did this story make you feel? Did Operation Not Forgotten leave you feeling inspired? Take a moment and let us know in the comments what you thought about the USMS taking on this mission, and show everyone you know who needs a pick-me-up this story.