FL "Operation Dragon Eye" 60 missing kids rescued in Florida in largest child rescue operation in U.S. history

[angkg]

60 missing kids rescued in Florida in largest child rescue operation in U.S. history​

60 missing kids rescued in Florida in largest child rescue operation in U.S. history

Dozens of missing children were rescued and eight suspects were arrested in a massive operation in the Tampa Bay area, Florida officials said. At a news conference Monday morning, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and U.S. Marshal William Berger announced that 60 missing children in...

www.nbcmiami.com

Dozens of missing children were rescued and eight suspects were arrested in a massive operation in the Tampa Bay area, Florida officials said.

At a news conference Monday morning, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and U.S. Marshal William Berger announced that 60 missing children in Central Florida were rescued as part of "Operation Dragon Eye."

 

[angkg]

 

[angkg]

 

[angkg]

Uthmeier Announces Largest Child Trafficking Rescue in U.S. History under 'Operation Dragon Eye'​

Uthmeier Announces Largest Child Trafficking Rescue in U.S. History under 'Operation Dragon Eye'

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the largest child rescue operation in United States history alongside state officials at a press conference in

floridianpress.com

Coined as "Operation Dragon Eye," the operation saved 60 children in two weeks from human trafficking.

"Today we announced the successful completion of the largest child rescue operation in Florida history," Uthmeier said. "We rescued 60 kids, many victims of horrible violence and human trafficking. As we help these kids recover, we’ll keep fighting with everything we’ve got to protect our kids."

According to Bill Berger, U.S. Marshall in the Middle District of Florida, the children rescued were between nine and 17 years old. He also indicated eight people were arrested and charged with crimes ranging from “human trafficking, child endangerment, drug possession and trafficking.”

 

[appleatcha]

My opinion only: These headlines are extremely misleading. It's like the journalists want people to be confused by the headline and think LE rescued 60 children from a single human trafficking network, rather than working together to solve 60 unrelated cases in a short period of time. Please don't mistake my point - I think it's fantastic that these 60 children were recovered and/or located safe, and I hope to see more of this kind of collaboration between agencies to clear missing persons cases - but I think it's regrettable that the journalism on this story is so misleading. JMO.

 

[no greed]

Wow, is this for real? Hard to believe any group could confine 60 children against their will. Were they all kept in one location?

 

[Oiseaux]

My opinion only: These headlines are extremely misleading. It's like the journalists want people to be confused by the headline and think LE rescued 60 children from a single human trafficking network, rather than working together to solve 60 unrelated cases in a short period of time. Please don't mistake my point - I think it's fantastic that these 60 children were recovered and/or located safe, and I hope to see more of this kind of collaboration between agencies to clear missing persons cases - but I think it's regrettable that the journalism on this story is so misleading. JMO.

Good point, you could definitely read this and not realize that it wasn't just one big bunker of children. It's odd that they say eight people were arrested and charged, but don't specify how many discrete cases that represents. I'm curious whether that originates with the press release or with the journalist. I get that there's a need for privacy and subtlety, but if I didn't know better, I'd think that it was written vaguely on purpose to make it sound more dramatic, or maybe even to stoke some fear in the public of huge trafficking rings.

(I don't know better. MOO.)

In any case, I'm glad that so many kids were recovered and rescued! Here's hoping that they are able to heal from their experiences and live full, happy, and free lives.

 

[angkg]

I find it interesting and possibly over dramatized that they claim this is the largest child rescue operation, but I remember "We will find you" from last year:

U.S. Marshals Find 200 Missing Children Across the Nation During Operation We Will Find You 2

The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), along with federal, state, and local agencies in seven federal judicial districts and geographical locations across the United States, led a six-week national operation that resulted in finding 200 critically missing children, which includes endangered runaways...

www.justice.gov

The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), along with federal, state, and local agencies in seven federal judicial districts and geographical locations across the United States, led a six-week national operation that resulted in finding 200 critically missing children, which includes endangered runaways and those abducted by noncustodial persons.


I do think it is wonderful that in the 2 week operation, they were able to find 60 missing children though. I don't want to discount the saving of these children.

 

[angkg]

US Marshals Service operation recovers 60 missing children in Florida​

US Marshals Service operation recovers 60 missing children in Florida

A two-week investigation called "Operation Dragon Eye," involving the U.S. Marshals Service and 20 other agencies, rescued 60 missing children.

www.usatoday.com

"Operation Dragon Eye" was led by the U.S. Marshals Service Middle District of Florida and involved 20 agencies, state officials said. Eight people were arrested, with charges ranging from human trafficking, child endangerment, drug possession, and drug trafficking.

The investigation was focused on recovering or safely locating "critically missing" children in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties. The children's ages ranged from 9 to 17, officials said.

 

[jillolantern]

Wow, is this for real? Hard to believe any group could confine 60 children against their will. Were they all kept in one location?

No. See the post immediately prior to yours. Your question is a perfect example of appleatcha's point.

​

 

[Lilibet]

Whenever I see these stories (usually in Florida), I can’t help but wonder why we here on Websleuths haven’t heard about any of these kids before…or have we? Do they include some of our cases? I just don’t understand how so many cases can go unpublicized. Are parents afraid to contact the news? Or are the parents involved somehow? Only 26 had been reported missing! What’s that about? Where are all these kids coming from? Are some runaways? And why Florida? The news video showed photos of children. Can they do that if they are the ones they found? Sorry about all these questions.

I’m really happy they’ve been found and rescued, but it just seems so odd to me. I hope no one is offended by my questions.

 

[appleatcha]

Whenever I see these stories (usually in Florida), I can’t help but wonder why we here on Websleuths haven’t heard about any of these kids before…or have we? Do they include some of our cases? I just don’t understand how so many cases can go unpublicized. Are parents afraid to contact the news? Or are the parents involved somehow? Only 26 had been reported missing! What’s that about? Where are all these kids coming from? Are some runaways? And why Florida? The news video showed photos of children. Can they do that if they are the ones they found? Sorry about all these questions.

I’m really happy they’ve been found and rescued, but it just seems so odd to me. I hope no one is offended by my questions.

My opinion only: Reading between the lines of the press release, I suspect some of them may have been runaways from DCFS custody (or whatever DCFS is called in Florida).

 

[CityKid]

My opinion only: Reading between the lines of the press release, I suspect some of them may have been runaways from DCFS custody (or whatever DCFS is called in Florida).

MOO I think many are children taken by a noncustodial parent as well. I'm thrilled that they've been found safe and can be returned to their families, but the articles read as if these are all children grabbed off the street by strangers.

Domestic Custodial-Motivated Child Abductions | FBI: Law Enforcement Bulletin

Custody disagreements can endanger children and present a significant problem that demands attention from law enforcement.

leb.fbi.gov

 

[Bigditch]

My opinion only: These headlines are extremely misleading. It's like the journalists want people to be confused by the headline and think LE rescued 60 children from a single human trafficking network, rather than working together to solve 60 unrelated cases in a short period of time. Please don't mistake my point - I think it's fantastic that these 60 children were recovered and/or located safe, and I hope to see more of this kind of collaboration between agencies to clear missing persons cases - but I think it's regrettable that the journalism on this story is so misleading. JMO.

It is great news, and I see your point, LE could not have achieved a bust that large in scope without the help, collaboration of other agencies.

Whether it's legitimate print media or a well known news network covering the story it is up to the owner/editor to say what gets reported. Journalists do not wield that kind of power.

This is why a lot of online news is untruthful. Lazy fact checking, or none. What fuels this type of salacious commentary is simple, $$$. It is imo a group-con mentality.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I’m not surprised they recovered 60 children in a 3 county area of FL. That’s probably low for SW FL. If it were SE FL, rather than the central west area, that number would be in the 100s if not 1000s. JMO

I’ve lived on both coasts. It’s well known here, that large events, be it concerts, sports, etc. will draw those that have the money and means, to hire traffickers to bring in what they want, i.e. young victims, drugs, etc. JMO

Think Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. Think the Ashley Madison list.

 

[Ashleym324]

Bless. I’m glad 60 kids were found safe

 

[Kittypoo]

Whenever I see these stories (usually in Florida), I can’t help but wonder why we here on Websleuths haven’t heard about any of these kids before…or have we? Do they include some of our cases? I just don’t understand how so many cases can go unpublicized. Are parents afraid to contact the news? Or are the parents involved somehow? Only 26 had been reported missing! What’s that about? Where are all these kids coming from? Are some runaways? And why Florida? The news video showed photos of children. Can they do that if they are the ones they found? Sorry about all these questions.

I’m really happy they’ve been found and rescued, but it just seems so odd to me. I hope no one is offended by my questions.

There was an episode of Unsolved Mysteries on Netflix that focused on missing kids of a large number. I can’t recall the area of US it was will have a look tomorrow see if it’s still available.

 

[thelesis]

Whenever I see these stories (usually in Florida), I can’t help but wonder why we here on Websleuths haven’t heard about any of these kids before…or have we? Do they include some of our cases? I just don’t understand how so many cases can go unpublicized. Are parents afraid to contact the news? Or are the parents involved somehow? Only 26 had been reported missing! What’s that about? Where are all these kids coming from? Are some runaways? And why Florida? The news video showed photos of children. Can they do that if they are the ones they found? Sorry about all these questions.

I’m really happy they’ve been found and rescued, but it just seems so odd to me. I hope no one is offended by my questions.

Because these aren't the kids who have parents that report to police. These aren't the kids that you think of when you see those Facebook posts circulating about white suburban kids from stable 2 parent families getting kidnapped by 'brown' people in the Target parking lot.

These are the kids that get removed from their families and put into foster care and then run away, the kids who were kicked out by their parents for being LGBTQ+, the kids with childhood trauma that end up in gangs or into drugs at a young age that don't make a good Dateline episode.

The posts we get on Websleuths are a drop in the bucket compared to actual missing youth cases. Media needs info from LE to have a story, and LE doesn't post bulletins for every kid.

 

[Ashleym324]

Because these aren't the kids who have parents that report to police. These aren't the kids that you think of when you see those Facebook posts circulating about white suburban kids from stable 2 parent families getting kidnapped by 'brown' people in the Target parking lot.

These are the kids that get removed from their families and put into foster care and then run away, the kids who were kicked out by their parents for being LGBTQ+, the kids with childhood trauma that end up in gangs or into drugs at a young age that don't make a good Dateline episode.

The posts we get on Websleuths are a drop in the bucket compared to actual missing youth cases. Media needs info from LE to have a story, and LE doesn't post bulletins for every kid.

Do we know who the kids are tho? Are we just making assumptions at the moment? There are sadly TONS of missing kids in the US

 

[appleatcha]

Do we know who the kids are tho? Are we just making assumptions at the moment? There are sadly TONS of missing kids in the US

This is what we know, from the U.S. Marshals Service press release... with the most relevant parts bolded by me:

--

Operation DRAGON EYE, the product of a multidisciplinary task force of federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as social service entities, the medical community, and non-governmental organizations planning and executing a two-week initiative geared to recover or safely locate the most critically missing youth, has been deemed the most successful missing child operation in USMS history. The USMS defines "critically missing" children as those at risk of crimes of violence or those with other elevated risk factors such as substance abuse, sexual exploitation, crime exposure, or domestic violence.

This operation had three primary objectives: recover critically missing youth, provide them with essential services including appropriate placement, and to deter bad actors exploiting missing child vulnerabilities.

DRAGON EYE resulted in eight arrests, including charges of human trafficking, child endangerment, narcotics possession, and custodial interference.

Recovered children were provided with medical resources, nourishment, social services, and child advocates. Operation DRAGON EYE child welfare and social service partners said they are proud of this operation's achievements.

"I have to curtail my enthusiasm because of the sensitivity of the victims involved in this operation, but the successful recovery of 60 missing children, complemented with the arrest of eight individuals, including child predators, signifies the most successful missing child recovery effort in the history of the United States Marshals Service; or to my knowledge, any other similar operation held in the United States," said William Berger, U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Florida. "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 to the streets to be further victimized.”

--

MOO: Between their definition of critically missing youth, the fact that the services provided to the youth included "appropriate placement," and LE's hope that they won't "return to the streets to be further victimized," I believe a significant portion were likely runaways or youth who otherwise went missing from DCF custody (foster care, residential facilities, etc.). I doubt LE will ever confirm one way or the other.