Fort Myers, FL – The U.S. Marshals Service Mexico Foreign Field
Office and the Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force from Fort
Myers partnered with state and local agencies to locate and recover two
missing and endangered children in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, June 23.
The children were reported missing June 20,
having been abducted by their biological parents, charged with
interference with custody, who then fled the United States. The family
was eventually located in Linares, a small city in the state of Nuevo
Leon.
“The outstanding cooperation between the Fort
Myers Police Department and the United States Marshals Service
culminated in the recovery of the minor children and the successful
conclusion of this case,” said United States Marshal for the Middle
District of Florida William Berger.
The children were taken for medical evaluation
and will be traveling back to the United States in the coming days.
The U.S. Marshals Service supports the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s mission to protect children
from victimization by providing assistance to federal, state and local
law enforcement agencies. In fiscal year 2021, the USMS received 1,640
requests from law enforcement for assistance in missing child cases.
With assistance from the USMS, 950 missing children were recovered.
The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of
2015 enhanced the U.S. Marshals Service’s discretionary authority to
assist other law enforcement agencies with the recovery of missing,
endangered or abducted children, regardless of whether a fugitive or sex
offender was involved. The USMS have a Missing Child Unit to oversee and
manage the implementation of its enhanced authority under the act. Upon
request, the Marshals assist other law enforcement agencies with the
recovery of “critically missing children,” who have gone missing under
circumstances that indicate an elevated risk to the child.
Since 2015 the agency has recovered more than
2,300 missing children. The USMS has recovered missing children in 56
percent of cases received. Of those recovered, 61 percent were recovered
within seven days.
The Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task
Force is composed of eight federal and 101 state and local agencies
dedicated to violent crime reduction by locating and apprehending wanted
criminals. USMS-led task forces also serve as investigation hubs for
missing and exploited juveniles throughout the country.
Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found
at http://www.usmarshals.gov.
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