Authorities in Florida rescued 122 missing children across the state, making it one of the largest child recovery missions conducted in American history, officials said Monday.
The U.S. Marshals-led “Operation Home for the Holidays” was conducted in major cities across the state over a two-week span. Authorities rescued endangered, missing, and exploited children ranging in age from 2 to 17, officials said.
“Every child rescued is a reminder of why we do this work,” FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital. “Under President Trump’s leadership, our federal, state, and local partners are moving faster, sharing intelligence better, and hunting down the predators who think they can hide in our communities. We will not stop until every child is safe and every predator is held to account.”
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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and Florida officials at a news conference to announce “Operation Home for the Holidays.” (Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier)
The rescued children were returned to state custody and connected with recovery services, officials said. Some cases were tied to pornography operations, prostitution, and the drug trade.
The children were located in Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa. In addition, 13 were found in nine other states and 2 were found in Mexico and Guatemala.
Many of them experienced various levels of abuse, including neglect, exploitation, or exposure to other criminal activity.
“Many of them have been through the unthinkable,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier told “Fox & Friends” on Monday. “They’ve been exploited. They’ve been endangered and in the worst of cases, they’ve been physically, sexually abused.”
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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier speaks during a press conference to announce “Operation Home for the Holidays.” (WTVT)
Six adults were arrested, with more expected in the future, authorities said. Those arrested will be prosecuted to the fullest extent, Uthmeier said.
“Child predators, stay out of Florida. You are not welcome here,” he said.
“Operation Home for the Holidays” was developed with an emphasis on quick access to child-focused services, Uthmeier’s office said. Investigators used real-time intelligence and field operations to locate the missing children.
Victim advocates and child welfare specialists partnered with law enforcement to provide immediate resources to the rescued children, officials said.
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“Operation Home for the Holidays is a testament to what we can accomplish when we come together with urgency and shared purpose to recover Florida’s most vulnerable children,” said Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary Taylor Hatch. “Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, DCF continues to seize opportunities to collaborate with local, state, and federal partners to maximize our impact—this time, bringing more than 120 children to safety.”
