CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the recovery of 163 missing children — ranging in age from 2 months to 17 years old — during Operation Statewide Shield.
The five-day operation focused on identifying, locating and recovering missing children across Florida and beyond, using real-time intelligence and field operations. Sub-operations spanned Pensacola, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers and Miami.
“Many of these kids have been victimized by those who prey on the most vulnerable,” Uthmeier said. “Thanks to the outstanding work of FDLE, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, and our state and local partners, these children are now safe and receiving the care they deserve. Florida will continue leading the recovery of missing children, hunting down every predator, and prosecuting abusers to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office will host a live stream at 2 p.m. to announce the results of an undercover sting.
Multi-agency collaboration
Uthmeier says the multi-disciplinary task force proactively located vulnerable youth across the country and outside the United States. Tampa Bay led all regions with 46 recoveries, followed by Miami with 41, Jacksonville with 32, Orlando with 21, Fort Myers with 12, Pensacola with 8 and Tallahassee with 3.
Domestic locations where operations took place included Alabama, California, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Puerto Rico and Tennessee. International recoveries reached Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Dominica, Finland, Ghana, Guatemala, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Spain and Taiwan.
“Operation Statewide Shield demonstrates the power of collaboration and the unwavering commitment shared by all participating agencies and organizations to achieve a singular mission: find our kids and bring them home,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass. “This operation brought together state, local, and federal partners, to safely return home 163 missing children.”
Children received immediate support at recovery hubs
Many of the recovered children had experienced abuse, neglect, exploitation or exposure to other criminal activity, including human trafficking. Once located, Uthmeier says the children were safely transported by local law enforcement to designated recovery hubs, where they received support from social services, child welfare professionals, medical providers, victim advocates and other child-centered resources.
All recovery information was documented through the Missing and Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse to ensure case closure.
“The success of Operation Statewide Shield reaffirms what partnership can accomplish when government, faith organizations, not for profits, and the private sector come together, share their strengths and use their collective expertise to protect children across this state,” said Florida Department of Children and Families Assistant Secretary Jonathan Stephens. “Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, the Department will continue to foster opportunities to collaborate with local and state partners to maximize our impact.”
Multiple arrests made, more expected
The operation resulted in multiple arrests. Among those taken into custody: a defendant wanted on three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor who also had a warrant for interference with child custody; another for lewd and lascivious battery on a victim between 12 and 16 years old; and one for interference in a child custody case as well as resisting officers without violence. Additional arrests are expected in the coming days, and multiple law enforcement investigations related to the operation remain ongoing.
“The results of this combined law-enforcement operation should make one thing very clear: Florida will never tolerate you harming our children,” said state Rep. Danny Alvarez. “To every sick person in this society who even tries it, if you think you got away with it you should keep looking over your shoulder every second of your life because we’re coming, and we will never rest in order to protect our children and their futures.”
Operation built on lessons from federal model
Operation Statewide Shield was led by FDLE, drawing on lessons learned from U.S. Marshals-led Operations Dragon Eye and Home for the Holidays. Special Counsel to the Attorney General for Human Trafficking Rita Peters served as legal advisor.
The operation was planned and executed by FDLE Tampa, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Juvenile Justice, BayCare, More to Life and the Florida Human Trafficking Victims Fund.
Thirteen sheriff’s offices provided critical assistance, including those in Manatee, Sarasota, Jacksonville, Clay, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Flagler, Orange, Escambia, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, along with numerous municipal law enforcement agencies and federal partners.
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