Overview
- Officials say the two-week operation, branded Operation Home for the Holidays, located or safely recovered children in Tampa Bay (57), Fort Myers (29), Jacksonville (22) and Orlando (14).
- Six felony arrests have been made so far with additional charges pending as prosecutors pursue cases ranging from sexual assault to custodial interference.
- The multiagency task force—led by the U.S. Marshals Service with FDLE, FBI, DCF and local sheriffs—used real-time intelligence, briefings and targeted field teams to find youths.
- Recoveries included cross-border and multistate cases, with children found in nine other states and two located outside the U.S. in Mexico and Guatemala.
- Authorities emphasized immediate post-recovery care, routing youths ages 23 months to 17 years to hospitals and service hubs, with more than 40 identified as being in foster care.