An operation called “Operation Dragon Eye” conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service in Florida in collaboration with multiple agencies resulted in authorities recovering 60 children who had been reported missing from Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties.
Authorities planned and executed a two-week initiative to safely recover or locate the missing youth, which “has been deemed a successful operation,” they said in a statement.
Eight people arrested
“Operation Dragon Eye had three main objectives: recover severely missing youth, provide them with essential services, including appropriate placement, and deter bad actors who exploit the vulnerabilities of missing children.”
All the children and teenagers recovered in the three counties are between 9 and 17 years old, so their identities were withheld by authorities.
During the operation, agents arrested eight people who are facing charges of human trafficking, child endangerment, narcotics possession, and custody interference.
Children received care from authorities
The children recovered by agents received medical resources, food, social services, and were provided with child advocates. Partners in child welfare and social services for Operation “Dragon Eye” expressed pride in the operation’s achievements.
“I must temper my enthusiasm due to the sensitivity of the victims involved in this operation. But the successful recovery of 60 missing children, coupled with the arrest of eight individuals, including child predators, represents the most successful missing child recovery effort in the history of the U.S. Marshals Service. And to my knowledge, in any other similar operation conducted in the country,” stated William Berger, U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Florida.
“The minors, aged 9 to 17, were interviewed and provided with physical and psychological care. This operation also included follow-up assistance with the hope that these youth will not return to the streets to become victims of further violence,” Berger added in a statement.
Multiple agencies participated in the operation
The sheriff’s offices of Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties participated in the investigation, along with other agencies such as the Florida Department of Children and Families, the Department of Juvenile Justice, child rights associations, among others.
“The success of Operation Dragon Eye demonstrates what can be achieved when agencies unite with the shared mission of protecting children,” stated Callahan Walsh, executive director of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
“We are proud to have supported the U.S. Marshals Service and our partners in Florida in recovering these missing children and providing crucial support to those who need it most,” he concluded.
Image: DiarioNY
