The U.S. Marshals Service has announced the results of two New Orleans-area operations that led to 80 felony arrests and the recovery or location of nine missing or endangered children.
NEW ORLEANS, La. — The U.S. Marshals Service announced the results Monday, September 21, following two operations carried out over several months in Louisiana and surrounding areas.
Operation N.O. Saints and Sinners, which ran from April 6 through September 9, focused on sex offenders and suspects wanted on sex-related felony charges.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, the operation resulted in 80 felony arrests.
Forty-nine of those arrests involved open sex-based felony charges, with several cases involving child victims.
Another 31 arrests involved sex offenders accused of violating their registration requirements.
Two of the arrests were for human trafficking.
At the same time, authorities conducted Operation Safe Harbor NOLA, which ran from May 5 through August 15 and focused on missing and endangered children.
The Marshals Service said nine missing or endangered children were recovered or located during that operation.
In one case, authorities received information through a National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CyberTip concerning a missing juvenile believed to be at risk of sex trafficking.
Deputy U.S. marshals and members of a Homeland Security task force eventually located the juvenile at a motel outside Jackson, Mississippi.
Authorities also highlighted arrests involving suspects wanted on allegations including human trafficking, child sex trafficking, rape, kidnapping and sex-offender registration violations.
The operations brought together the U.S. Marshals Service with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana State Police and Homeland Security Investigations.
U.S. Marshal Enix Smith III credited cooperation between the participating agencies for the results and said authorities remain focused on protecting victims and holding offenders accountable.
The announcement highlights both the dangers facing vulnerable children and the continuing work of law enforcement agencies to locate missing youth and investigate those accused of exploiting them.
Reference:
usmarshals/news/press-release/us-marshals-new-orleans-task-force-law-enforcement-partners-conclude-0
