This week a Florida rescue team performed what Attorney General James Uthmeier called the largest child rescue operation in U.S. history. He speaks of the results of the operation, titled “Operation Dragon Eye,” in an X post on his page.
"In a two-week period, this team, a collective work of many agencies, and law enforcement personnel rescued 60 kids, that were in critical danger, many the victims of trafficking, many missing kids," Uthmeier says.
The rescue was undergone by the U.S. Marshall Service (UMSM) Middle District of Florida along with various other partners. They recovered missing kids from across the counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco. Eight arrests were made under the charges of human trafficking, child endangerment, narcotics possession, and custodial interference.
Operation Dragon Eye has been recognized as the most successful operation in recovering missing children in the history of the USMS.
Speaking to American Family News about this operation, Tori Hirsch with the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) explained that, disturbingly, human trafficking is not limited to a few states.
Contrarily, it is becoming increasingly prevalent across our entire nation.
"Human trafficking does occur in every state. Obviously, there are certain states with higher levels or reports of suspected human trafficking,” Hirsch says, “But I think, especially with the proliferation of grooming and online recruitment, trafficking online is happening at massive levels today like we've never seen before. And absolutely that's happening in all fifty states and globally too, not just at the national level."
