What is Operation Meridian? 79 Missing Children Recovered in Ohio in US Marshals’ Largest-Ever Operation

What is Operation Meridian? 79 missing children found across Ohio

A major law-enforcement operation in Ohio has brought 79 missing and endangered children back to safety, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Officials have described Operation Meridian as the largest missing-child operation in Ohio history.

The operation was carried out throughout August 2026 by the United States Marshals Service in coordination with federal, state and local agencies. The children located during the operation were between 6 and 17 years old.

Why was Operation Meridian launched?

According to the U.S. Marshals, the operation focused on children reported missing under a range of circumstances, including suspected sex trafficking, physical or emotional abuse, neglect, running away and other forms of endangerment.

Investigators worked across jurisdictional boundaries, following leads not only in Ohio but as far away as Georgia. Local police departments, federal agencies and other partners contributed to the searches. 

The operation involved agencies in cities including Akron, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo, while the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and other agencies also provided support. 

How were the 79 children found?

One of the cases involved two sisters, aged 13 and 16, who had been missing since July 2024 and April 2026.

Investigators following leads in the Columbus area found the 13-year-old concealed in a basement crawlspace beneath the floor of a bedroom closet at a home in Lockbourne. The girls' mother was arrested on an outstanding probation-violation warrant. Investigators subsequently obtained information that helped them locate the 16-year-old at a Columbus restaurant later that day. 

Another case involved a 16-year-old Toledo girl who had previously been reported as a victim of human trafficking. After she was reported missing on August 18, investigators followed leads in Ohio and Michigan and identified an adult man she might be with.

Authorities eventually located the girl and the man at a Toledo address. The girl received medical care and was taken to hospital for evaluation, while local authorities began investigating possible criminal activity involving the adult man. 

What happened to the children after they were found?

The operation did not end when investigators located the children.

The U.S. Marshals said recovered children were connected with medical, psychological and social-service agencies. Those agencies can provide trauma-informed counselling, family-reunification assistance and longer-term case management, depending on each child's circumstances. 

Officials stressed that locating a missing child is only the first step, particularly in cases involving trafficking, abuse or neglect.

Amanda Berry's role in Operation Meridian

The operation also had support from Amanda Berry, who was abducted in Cleveland in 2003 and rescued nearly a decade later in 2013 along with two other women and a child.

According to the U.S. Marshals, Berry addressed personnel before Operation Meridian began and urged investigators to treat every missing child as if they were their own. U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott credited the message as part of the operation's effort to keep the focus on the safety and welfare of the children. 

Why Operation Meridian matters

The scale of Operation Meridian highlights the challenges faced by authorities in locating children who disappear from homes, care arrangements or other environments.

The U.S. Marshals said their fugitive task forces already have experience in tracking people who deliberately evade law enforcement. Those investigative resources can also be used to locate missing and endangered children, officials said. 

With 79 children recovered, Operation Meridian has become a significant example of federal, state and local agencies working together on missing-child cases in Ohio.

The U.S. Marshals have stressed that every recovery represents more than simply closing a missing-person case—it can mean removing a vulnerable child from a potentially dangerous situation and connecting them with services needed for recovery.