Twenty-one people were arrested in Snohomish County as part of a multi-agency operation targeting child exploitation, according to Washington State Patrol (WSP) news. The operation, named 'Operation Guardian,' involved WSP, Edmonds Police, and federal partners. The Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney will review cases for potential charges.
The operation was led by WSP's Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF), which has made nearly 400 arrests since 2015. WSP Chief John Batiste said detectives worked with partners to arrest those preying on children. The operation has removed children from danger across Washington.
Skamania County residents are not directly affected by this operation, but the WSP encourages anyone with information about suspicious activity to contact Detective Lilley at Jacob. [email protected]. The WSP also reported a separate drive-by shooting on SR 509 in King County, but no Skamania County connection was noted in the report.