60 youngsters rescued in Florida intercourse trafficking bust Operation Dragon Eye

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Dozens of youngsters have been rescued in a blow to child sex trafficking operations in Florida, officers introduced Monday.

Dubbed Operation Dragon Eye, the initiative was spearheaded by the U.S. Marshals Workplace for the Central District of Florida and supported by the state Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Workplace of Statewide Prosecution (OSP).

The hassle concerned 20 businesses working in tandem to find 60 critically lacking youngsters and apprehend suspects tied to trafficking, medicine and little one endangerment.

"The true heroes behind this operation are the regulation enforcement who constructed and executed this mission," Uthmeier stated in a launch. "As your Legal professional Normal and a father of three younger youngsters, defending youngsters is my high precedence. For those who victimize youngsters, you are going to jail, finish of story."

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Operation Dragon Eye resulted in eight arrests, and extra human trafficking investigations proceed, Florida Legal professional Normal James Uthmeier stated. (Legal professional Normal James Uthmeier/X)

Authorities stated the recovered youngsters ranged in age from 9 to 17, and plenty of of them have been lacking and susceptible to being exploited. The U.S. Marshals Service defines "critically lacking" youngsters as "these susceptible to crimes of violence or these with different elevated danger elements akin to substance abuse, sexual exploitation, crime publicity or home violence."

The operation uncovered the gut-wrenching realities of intercourse trafficking — together with a number of younger ladies who have been pregnant, one among them carrying the kid of her trafficker.

Officers confused that the operation didn’t finish with their rescue, however every little one acquired instant medical evaluations and psychological help, with long-term care protocols set in movement.

"The distinctive a part of this operation was the truth that underaged critically missing children weren't solely recovered however have been debriefed and supplied with bodily and psychological care," stated U.S. Marshal William Berger. "This operation additional included follow-up help in hopes that these youths won't return again to the streets to be additional victimized."

Statistics from Florida Legal professional Normal James Uthmeier's workplace following Operation Dragon Eye.

The Florida Division of Legislation Enforcement (FDLE) additionally performed a central position within the operation. Commissioner Mark Glass assured the dad and mom of lacking youngsters that the division will "by no means cease looking."

"Sixty youngsters saved. That quantity sends the message that Florida won't ever be a secure place for traffickers," Glass stated. "At FDLE, we'll proceed to battle for many who can not battle for themselves. And to any household nonetheless lacking their little one, we'll by no means cease looking till we be certain that they're introduced dwelling safely."

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Eight people have been arrested throughout the operation, the company stated. They face a wide range of prices, together with human trafficking, little one endangerment, drug possession and drug trafficking. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing , and extra prices could comply with.

The Workplace of Statewide Prosecution is dealing with the prison instances, with help from state attorneys within the Sixth and Thirteenth Judicial Circuits. Particular Counsel Rita Peters has been appointed to guide the prosecution within the human trafficking case, whereas two further trafficking instances stay underneath investigation.

U.S. Marshals and native regulation enforcement labored collectively in Operator Dragon Eye. (U.S. Marshals through FOX 13)

Intercourse trafficking continues to pose a persistent risk in Florida, with the state among the many high three within the nation for reported human trafficking instances, alongside California and Texas, in response to the National Human Trafficking Hotline .

In 2024 alone, in response to the company, Florida acquired over 1,830 alerts, which led to the identification of 1,874 victims. The Florida Division of Youngsters and Households (DCF) discovered that many victims are minors between the ages of 11 and 17, typically lured by manipulation or on-line platforms.

In response, Florida leaders have stepped up each funding and legislative efforts. Gov. Ron DeSantis recently allocated $4.9 million to develop emergency shelter beds and employees help for trafficking victims, whereas an extra $900,000 in grant funding was supplied to the FDLE.

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"Florida is being proactive about stopping human trafficking," DeSantis beforehand stated. "Although our open southern border invitations prison exercise like human trafficking, states can fight it with stronger penalties and elevated coaching for emergency personnel to acknowledge and reply to trafficking, and immediately I used to be happy to institute these measures in Florida."

State lawmakers have additionally handed laws to extend penalties for traffickers and mandate trafficking-awareness coaching for resort employees, healthcare suppliers and faculty employees.

Fox Information Digital has reached out to Uthmeier's workplace for remark.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a U.S. Author at Fox Information Digital.

Since becoming a member of in 2021, she’s coated high-stakes prison justice—from the Menendez brothers’ resentencing , the place Choose Jesic slashed their life-without-parole phrases to 50-years-to-life (making them parole-eligible), to the assassination makes an attempt on President Donald Trump's life and shifting immigration enforcement, together with her reporting on South Florida’s illegal-immigration crisis , overlaying unprecedented migrant crossings from the Bahamas and ensuing enforcement operations.

Past these beats, she studies on crime, politics, enterprise, life-style, world information, and extra—delivering each breaking updates and in-depth evaluation throughout Fox Information Digital. You may comply with her on Twitter and LinkedIn .