A three-day law enforcement operation out of Nassau and Suffolk counties has located 34 missing children, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced. The children had been missing anywhere from a few days to 10 years.
Most of the children were runaways, according to the New York Post, which first reported the operation Friday. Others were found to be victims of exploitation and human trafficking. All were reported missing to police in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
The effort, called the Long Island Missing Child Rescue Operation, was run out of a command center in Garden City and was months in the planning. Officials said every child found was connected with support services after being located, and that the work continues on additional open cases.
Hochul said the operation reflected a broader obligation to families with missing children.
“Every missing child deserves our full attention, and every family deserves answers. This operation brought together the expertise and resources needed to find vulnerable young people and help protect them from exploitation and harm. Our commitment does not end when a child is located. We must also help them get the care, support and stability they need to stay safe.”
The governor’s office also released statewide figures: 10,629 children under 18 were reported missing to New York police in 2025, with 94 percent of those cases classified as runaways. Police closed 10,672 missing-child cases during 2025, including some opened in earlier years. By year’s end, 1,079 cases remained active statewide.
Office of Children and Family Services Commissioner Dr. Damia Harris-Madden told CBS New York the operation carried personal weight for those involved. “Excited for the fact that our community will be receiving their children back home,” she said of the experience.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children lists physical or sexual abuse, substance abuse, online enticement, family conflict and gang activity among the factors that raise a child’s risk of running away. NCMEC defines an “Endangered Runaway” as a child under 18 who is missing by their own choice and whose location is unknown to a parent or guardian — a population the organization says is highly vulnerable to homelessness while missing.
The U.S. Department of State has described human trafficking as a crime that “deprives millions worldwide of their dignity and freedom,” warning that at-risk populations can face deceptive recruitment by people seeking to exploit them for labor or commercial sex. The department leads the federal government’s coordination of anti-trafficking efforts.
