Florida officials say 163 missing children have been found in what authorities are calling a landmark statewide recovery operation.
“Many of these kids have been victimized by those who prey on the most vulnerable,” Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a press release issued Aug. 25. “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 coordinated initiative, known as Operation Statewide Shield, was described as the largest missing-child recovery effort in Florida history. The children located during the operation ranged in age from just 2 months old to 17.
Over the course of the five-day sweep, investigators recovered children not only throughout Florida, but also in seven other U.S. states and territories. Authorities said recoveries also extended internationally, spanning 12 countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Jamaica and Ghana.
According to the announcement, “Many recovered children had experienced various levels of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or exposure to other criminal activity, including human trafficking.”
Asked how the children disappeared, Uthmeier said the circumstances varied widely and “really does run the gamut.”
“You’ve got some relatives or distant relatives that will kidnap or get into custody battles over kids. You have some foster care situations where, unfortunately, kids are abused,” he said during a press conference streamed by Fox 13. “You get some kids that are neglected, that run away, that turn to drugs. You get kids that fall victim to, you know, pimps that push them into prostitution, that run trafficking rings…Really all of the above. It’s a pretty sad situation.”
Officials said Operation Statewide Shield centered on identifying, locating and recovering missing children using real-time intelligence and field operations. The effort was supported by seven regional hubs across Florida, operating out of Pensacola, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers and Miami.
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It resulted in multiple arrests including a defendant wanted in connection to three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and a warrant for interference with child custody. Law enforcement officers also arrested another defendant for lewd and lascivious battery on a victim 12 to 16 years old and another for interference in a child custody case.
Uthmeier said more arrests connected to the operation are expected in the coming days.
“The legal process will now begin at this point,” he said. “It’s important for us to continue our investigations to figure out who is leading a lot of the illicit behavior that is out there.”
As the operation’s victim service coordinator, More Too Life’s Kim Figueroa worked closely with victim advocates serving as a central point of contact for the children at the recovery hubs to make them feel safe and meet their immediate needs.
“During this operation, 163 children were recovered. Behind that number, 163 individual children, each with their own story, their own experiences, and their own needs,” she explained in the press conference. “Our responsibility was not simply to locate these children; it was to make sure that when they were recovered, they were met with compassion, safety, dignity, and support.”
Representative Danny Alvarez also offered a warning to those who victimize children.
“The results of this combined law-enforcement operation should make one thing very clear: Florida will never tolerate you harming our children,” he said, according to the release. “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.”
