BOSTON, MA — Federal officers and local police recovered 48 endangered missing children during Operation Yellow Card in Massachusetts, a coordinated effort linked to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The children were between 12 and 17 years old.
Officials said the operation focused on young people believed to face heightened risks of human trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation, violence and other victimization. Many of the children have already been reunited with family members or connected to child welfare and victim services.
Massachusetts agencies led the search across state lines
The U.S. Marshals Service District of Massachusetts led the operation with help from the Massachusetts State Police and the Boston Police Department. Investigators followed leads in Massachusetts and tracked others into multiple states.
The effort was carried out with support from agencies and service providers that work on child safety, trafficking and exploitation cases. Officials said the coordination helped widen the search and improve the chances of finding children quickly.
Recovery effort opened new child exploitation and kidnapping probes
Authorities said the operation did more than locate missing children. It also generated intelligence and led to new investigations into suspected kidnapping, child exploitation, human trafficking and related crimes.
Dennis Matulewicz, acting U.S. marshal for the District of Massachusetts, said each recovery represented a child whose future changed and a family given hope. He credited investigators and partner agencies for refusing to stop searching until the children were found.
Federal program continues after the operation ends
Operation Yellow Card drew on authorities available under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015. Partners included Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, district attorneys’ offices in Essex, Plymouth and Suffolk counties, and several Massachusetts child welfare and victim services agencies.
The U.S. Marshals Service said its nationwide Missing Child Program is still active. Since 2015, the program has helped recover thousands of endangered missing children across the United States.
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