The United States Department of Justice says authorities have located 146,000 unaccompanied migrant children who had previously lost contact with federal agencies after being placed with sponsors during the Biden administration, while nearly 300,000 children remain unaccounted for.
Speaking at a Justice Department press conference on Thursday, officials outlined a major nationwide effort to identify missing children and investigate suspected trafficking and exploitation networks. The initiative now involves every U.S. Attorney’s Office across the country and focuses on locating vulnerable minors and prosecuting those responsible for abuse and illegal smuggling operations.
Federal prosecutors also announced the indictment of three Guatemalan nationals in Ohio accused of smuggling more than a dozen migrant children into the United States using false identities. In a separate case, another individual was sentenced after being convicted of smuggling a 14-year-old girl and sexually assaulting her.
Officials said some children recovered during the investigations reported severe and prolonged abuse while in the custody of sponsors or traffickers. According to statements made during the briefing, investigators have encountered allegations involving repeated sexual assaults and exploitation.
Justice Department officials said the current administration is intensifying efforts to locate missing children, dismantle trafficking networks and strengthen vetting procedures for sponsors. They argued previous safeguards were insufficient and pledged to continue searching for the hundreds of thousands of children who remain unaccounted for.
Authorities described the operation as one of the largest child protection and anti-trafficking initiatives currently underway in the United States.
“We found 146,000 kids so far. Some of these kids claimed that they were raped over 600 times. I don’t care who you are. If you can’t stand for law enforcement to go find these kids, who are you?” @SecMullinDHS pic.twitter.com/hsgIea2NOT
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 11, 2026
Wow, this is a huge story, I hope it’s true.