Florida’s Operation Dragon Eye rescues dozens of ‘critically missing’ children in massive sting

Dozens of children were rescued successful a stroke to child enactment trafficking operations successful Florida, officials announced Monday.

Dubbed Operation Dragon Eye, the inaugural was spearheaded by the U.S. Marshals Office for the Central District of Florida and supported by the authorities Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution (OSP).

The effort progressive 20 agencies moving successful tandem to find 60 critically missing children and apprehend suspects tied to trafficking, drugs and kid endangerment.

"The existent heroes down this cognition are the instrumentality enforcement who built and executed this mission," Uthmeier said successful a release. "As your Attorney General and a begetter of 3 young kids, protecting children is my apical priority. If you victimize children, you're going to prison, extremity of story."

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Operation Dragon Eye resulted successful 8 arrests, and further quality trafficking investigations continue, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said. (Attorney General James Uthmeier/X)

Authorities said the recovered children ranged successful property from 9 to 17, and galore of them were missing and astatine hazard of being exploited. The U.S. Marshals Service defines "critically missing" children arsenic "those astatine hazard of crimes of unit oregon those with different elevated hazard factors specified arsenic substance abuse, intersexual exploitation, transgression vulnerability oregon home violence."

The cognition uncovered the gut-wrenching realities of enactment trafficking — including respective young girls who were pregnant, 1 of them carrying the kid of her trafficker.

Officials stressed that the cognition didn’t extremity with their rescue, but each kid received contiguous aesculapian evaluations and intelligence support, with semipermanent attraction protocols acceptable successful motion.

"The unsocial portion of this cognition was the information that underaged critically missing children were not lone recovered but were debriefed and provided with carnal and intelligence care," said U.S. Marshal William Berger. "This cognition further included follow-up assistance successful hopes that these youths volition not instrumentality backmost to the streets to beryllium further victimized."

Statistics from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier's bureau pursuing Operation Dragon Eye.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) besides played a cardinal relation successful the operation. Commissioner Mark Glass assured the parents of missing children that the section volition "never halt searching."

"Sixty kids saved. That fig sends the connection that Florida volition ne'er beryllium a harmless spot for traffickers," Glass said. "At FDLE, we volition proceed to combat for those who cannot combat for themselves. And to immoderate household inactive missing their child, we volition ne'er halt searching until we marque definite they are brought location safely."

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Eight individuals were arrested during the operation, the bureau said. They look a assortment of charges, including quality trafficking, kid endangerment, cause possession and cause trafficking. Authorities accidental the investigation is ongoing, and further charges whitethorn follow.

The Office of Statewide Prosecution is handling the transgression cases, with enactment from authorities attorneys successful the Sixth and Thirteenth Judicial Circuits. Special Counsel Rita Peters has been appointed to pb the prosecution successful the quality trafficking case, portion 2 further trafficking cases stay nether investigation.

U.S. Marshals and section instrumentality enforcement worked unneurotic successful Operator Dragon Eye. (U.S. Marshals via FOX 13)

Sex trafficking continues to airs a persistent menace successful Florida, with the authorities among the apical 3 successful the federation for reported quality trafficking cases, alongside California and Texas, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

In 2024 alone, according to the agency, Florida received implicit 1,830 signals, which led to the recognition of 1,874 victims. The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) recovered that galore victims are minors betwixt the ages of 11 and 17, often lured done manipulation oregon online platforms. 

In response, Florida leaders person stepped up some backing and legislative efforts. Gov. Ron DeSantis recently allocated $4.9 cardinal to grow exigency structure beds and unit enactment for trafficking victims, portion an further $900,000 successful assistance backing was provided to the FDLE. 

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"Florida is being proactive astir stopping quality trafficking," DeSantis antecedently said. "Though our unfastened confederate borderline invites transgression enactment similar quality trafficking, states tin combat it with stronger penalties and accrued grooming for exigency unit to admit and respond to trafficking, and contiguous I was pleased to institute those measures successful Florida."

State lawmakers person besides passed authorities to summation penalties for traffickers and mandate trafficking-awareness grooming for edifice workers, healthcare providers and schoolhouse staff.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to Uthmeier's bureau for comment.