The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced on Thursday, October 23, that a joint operation by federal and state law enforcement agencies in Hawaii earlier this month successfully rescued 10 children and teenagers who had gone missing.
According to a post on social media platform X by the FBI’s Honolulu office, the operation named “Operation Shine the Light” was launched in collaboration with local and state law enforcement officials to locate missing children and teenagers reported as runaways or facing danger, particularly on Oahu Island. The operation resulted in the safe recovery of the 10 youths.
In a statement, the FBI mentioned that multiple suspects were arrested during the joint operation, and the identities of the child victims were confirmed, with investigations still ongoing.
The purpose of this joint operation, as stated in the release, also included providing necessary services and care for the juvenile victims and preventing harm to missing children on the island.
A news release from the Hawaii Attorney General’s Office revealed that the children and teenagers located were between the ages of 13 and 18. However, the number of arrests related to this operation was not disclosed.
Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez expressed gratitude for the assistance received, thanking the dedicated federal, military, state, and county law enforcement agencies, as well as community partners for their collaborative and relentless efforts that led to the successful mission.
As of Friday morning, there were 26 missing children listed by the Hawaii Department of Human Services.
According to the federal Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act signed in 2014, state social service agencies must report abducted or missing children to law enforcement or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) within 24 hours of knowing about the disappearance.
Data from the NCMEC website indicates that around 18% of missing children in 2024 were deemed “likely” to be victims of sex trafficking.
Coordinator of the Hawaii Missing Child Center, Amanda Leonard, shared in a video interview with local news channel KHON-TV that the reasons behind children running away from home are diverse, including drug abuse issues, influence from older boyfriends or girlfriends, and encounters with strangers online.
Last week, FBI Director Kash Patel, alongside President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, revealed at a White House event that federal officials had rescued approximately 5,400 children and arrested 28,000 violent criminals across multiple operations nationwide this year.
President Trump posted on Truth Social earlier this week, stating that since January 20th, over 1,700 child predators have been arrested, around 5,000 children rescued, and 300 human traffickers removed from the streets.
In recent times, the Trump administration has deployed federal agents and National Guard members to several major U.S. cities, including Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Memphis, as part of efforts to combat crime and immigration.
Last week, Trump mentioned plans to send troops to San Francisco, but he later disclosed a change in this decision, citing information from successful contacts who informed him about efforts to reduce crime in the city.
Trump mentioned at the White House on Thursday, October 23, that due to the positive feedback he received, the deployment plan to San Francisco was postponed to allow for an assessment of their progress. He emphasized that if they are unable to meet the expectations, he may reconsider his decision.