A massive investigation into child sex trafficking rescued 60 “critically missing” children in the Tampa Bay area, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced with other officials at a press conference on June 23.
“Operation Dragon Eye” was led by the U.S. Marshals Office (USMS) for the Central District of Florida and involved 20 agencies. Eight people were arrested, with charges ranging from human trafficking, child endangerment, drug possession, and drug trafficking, officials said.
The children ranged from ages 9 to 17, officials said, from Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties.
“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 real heroes behind this operation are the law enforcement who built and executed this mission. As your Attorney General and a father of three young kids, protecting children is my top priority,” Uthmeier said. “If you victimize children, you’re going to prison, end of story.”
Here’s what to know.
What is Operation Dragon Eye?
Operation Dragon Eye was a two-week initiative “geared to recover or safely locate the most critically missing youth,” the U.S. Marshals Service said in a release.
The operation had three primary objectives, officials said:
“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,” Berger said. “This operation further included follow-up assistance in hopes that these youth will not return to the streets to be further victimized.”
How many missing children were rescued in Operation Dragon Eye?
The children were ages 9 to 17, officials said, with 69% missing from the community and 31% missing from foster homes. There were 17 boys and 43 girls from Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties.
Officials said this was the most successful recovery in USMS history. In the last decade, since the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 passed, the USMS has located or recovered more than 3,967 missing children.
The USMS has located or recovered missing children in 66% of the cases it received, officials said in a release, mostly within a week.
In 2024, a 15-year-old Miami-Dade girl who had become a victim of human trafficking, was recovered after being missing for nearly a month as part of the nationwide “Operation We Will Find You 2,” which, with help from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, recovered and removed 123 children from dangerous situations, the USMS said. Another 77 missing children were located and found to be in safe locations, according to law enforcement or child welfare agencies.
What are ‘critically missing children?’
The United States Marshals Service 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.”
How many agencies were involved in Operation Dragon Eye?
Operation Dragon Eye was 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,” the USMS said.
The other agencies included the Florida Attorney General’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Department of Children and Families, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Pasco Sherriff’s Office, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, St. Petersburg Police Department, Tampa Police Department, BayCare, Bridging Freedom, Bridges of Hope, Children’s Home Network, Children’s Network of Hillsborough County, Family Support Services Pasco Pinellas Counties, More Too Life, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and Redefining Refuge.
“The success of Operation DRAGON EYE is a testament to what’s possible when agencies unite with a shared mission to protect children,” said Callahan Walsh, executive director, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
“We’re proud to have supported the U.S. Marshals Service and our partners in Florida to recover these missing children and provide critical support to those who need it most. NCMEC is honored to stand alongside these teams and will continue working tirelessly to help make sure that every child has a safe childhood.”
Contributing: Mike Snider, USA TODAY
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Operation Dragon Eye rescues 60 ‘critically missing’ Florida children, officials say
Reporting by C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
