Sixty missing kids are dramatically rescued in covert human trafficking operation

Sixty missing children have been rescued from a human trafficking ring following a covert sting across multiple counties in Florida, authorities announced.

The kids, aged 9 to 17-years-old, were all recovered from the Tampa Bay area in an operation led by the US Marshals Office for the Middle District of Florida.

A number of young girls who were rescued in the operation earlier this month were pregnant, authorities said.

Eight people – five men, two women and one unknown – were arrested in connection to the alleged kidnapping ring and were charged with human trafficking, child endangerment, narcotics possession, and custodial interference.

‘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,’ Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said on Monday. 

‘If you victimize children, you’re going to prison, end of story.’

Twenty agencies in total worked for two weeks to save the children who were deemed ‘critically missing’.

As defined by the US Marshals Service, children who are ‘critically missing’ are at risk of being the victims of violent crimes, substance abuse, sexual exploitation or domestic violence.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (pictured) announced the successful US Marshal-led operation to rescue dozens of children from a sex trafficking ring based in the Tampa Bay area

Pictured: The rescued children are shown with their faces blurred. They were aged between nine to 17-years-old

‘Several children that were recovered during this operation were pregnant, one such child, a girl, just barely beginning her own life and yet she was carrying a life inside of her. The baby, actually, of her trafficker,’ said Natasha Nascimento, the president and founder of Redefining Refuge, a non profit dedicated to supporting human trafficking victims.

Nascimento, whose team is providing support to the victims, thanked the officers in the room for protecting the girl and her unborn child.

‘Now because of you, a baby has the opportunity to be born addiction free. This child was forced to use substances by her trafficker throughout her pregnancy,’ Nascimento said.

‘A baby gets to be born to a mom who’s not being sold every day and a baby gets to have a story that doesn’t start with trauma but that starts with recovery,’ she added. 

William Berger, US Marshal for the Middle District of Florida, lauded the operation, dubbed Dragon Eye, as ‘the most successful missing child recovery effort in the history of the United States Marshals Service’.

Berger added that the youth were provided ‘physical and psychological care’.

‘This operation further included follow-up assistance in hopes that these youths will not return back to the streets to be further victimized,’ he said.

Natasha Nascimento, the president and founder of Redefining Refuge, thanked officers for saving a young girl who was pregnant by her trafficker

Florida’s Office of Statewide Prosecution will handle the criminal cases filed against the eight defendants (pictured), with assistance from states in the Sixth and Thirteenth Judicial Circuits

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) was also involved in the operation, with Commissioner Mark Glass assuring parents of still-missing children that his agents will ‘never stop searching’. 

‘Sixty kids saved. That number sends the message that Florida will never be a safe place for traffickers,’ Glass said.

‘At FDLE, we will continue to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. And to any family still missing their child, we will never stop searching until we make sure they are brought home safely,’ he added.

Florida’s Office of Statewide Prosecution will handle the criminal cases filed against the eight defendants, with assistance from states in the Sixth and Thirteenth Judicial Circuits.

Special Counsel Rita Peters has been tasked with prosecuting the human trafficking case, while two other human trafficking cases are still under investigation.

Florida has one of the highest number of reported human trafficking cases, alongside California and Texas, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

In 2024, more than 1,830 signals were called into the hotline, which led to the identification of 1,874 victims.

The Florida Department of Children and Families say most of these victims are between the ages of 11 and 17 and are often lured in by criminals through online platforms.