Authorities rescued 60 children in Florida’s largest-recorded operation.
“Today we announced the successful completion of the largest child rescue operation in Florida history. We rescued 60 kids, many victims of horrible violence and human trafficking,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said. “As we help these kids recover, we’ll keep fighting with everything we’ve got to protect our kids.”
“60 kids saved. That number sends the message that Florida will never be a safe place for traffickers,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Commissioner Mark Glass. “At FDLE, we will continue to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. And to any family still missing their child, we will never stop searching until we make sure they are brought home safely.”
U.S. Marshal William Berger explained that the “unique part of this operation was the fact that underaged critically missing children ranging from age 9 to 17 were not only recovered but were debriefed and provided with physical and psychological care.”
“This operation further included follow-up assistance in hopes that these youth will not return back to the streets to be further victimized,” he said.
Secretary for the Florida Department of Children and Families, Taylor Hatch, honored Governor Ron DeSantis (R), noting his leadership allows the department to be “unrelenting when it comes to the protection, safety, and well-being of some of the most vulnerable Floridians – our children.”
The rescue, called Operation Dragon Eye, was led by the U.S. Marshal’s Office with the assistance of 20 agencies.
Eight people were arrested as a result of the operation and face charges of human trafficking, child endangerment, drug possession, and drug trafficking.
