Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, the FDLE, and the U.S. Marshals Service gave an update on November 17 on a two-week operation that rescued over 100 endangered or missing children. The operation was called “Operation Home for the Holidays.”
The Press Conference
Fox 13 Tampa Bay covered the press conference on Monday, and the news arrived that it involved multiple agencies. The operation found 122 children in Florida and other states. Some children were as young as two years old. They were recovered from trafficking and neglect situations. While shocking, the successful operation is a positive development in a difficult area of true crime.
U.S. Marshal Bill Berger mentioned the collaboration, involving “200 partners.” They included the FBI, local law enforcement, and NGOs. Recoveries included: 57 children in Tampa Bay, 29 in Fort Myers, 22 in Jacksonville, and 14 in Orlando. Six felony arrests were made.
Rescue Is Just The Beginning
Officials stated the rescue was the first step. Now, the children, many of whom were abused, are receiving counseling and victim services. Taylor Hatch from the Florida Department of Children and Families praised the mission and Governor Ron DeSantis’s leadership.
She said, “Governor DeSantis leads by example. He sets the pace and the tone and the expectation that we deliver for Floridians and their families.”
Of course, there was trauma suffered, and fortunately, support is arranged for the kids and their families. It could be a long road to full recovery after the shock and treatment of the children.
Viewers React
Deservedly, there was a lot of back-patting, but few details about the children and how it all went down. Possibly, their operational formula remains secret for future such rescue missions. However, the sheer number of missing children involved shocked viewers, especially, as two of them were recovered outside of the USA. In the comments section, one member of the public wrote:
Thank you for your outstanding law enforcement work Florida! I pray for these sweet children to have a better chance at life than being shuffled around in the state-run foster homes, even though it’s better than the way they were living. These children need ten steps up.
Here are a few more responses from the discussion:
- How…are there 122 missing kids that can be found in a single fell swoop? That’s insane.
- Thank you everyone for rescuing the children. Your hard work and determination is commendable. God bless you and your families.
- Congratulation AG and the entire team. So proud of you and the work you do to keep us safe. Those kids will become productive adults because of you. Thank you.
- OMG! Thank you for rescuing them! Safe for the holidays!
What are your thoughts? Are you amazed that despite the government shutdown, the different agencies were able to find and locate so many missing children? Let us know in the comments below, and come back here often for all your true crime news and updates.