U.S. Marshals 2-Week Missing Child Operation Across Central FL Leads to Recovery of 122 Children

Tampa, FL - The United States Marshals Service (USMS) led a diverse array of federal, state, local, and non-governmental partners who recently completed a Florida based youth recovery initiative resulting in the recovery or safe location of 122 missing or endangered children.  This joint multi-disciplinary task force, operating for a two week span across Central Florida, proactively located or recovered vulnerable youth belonging to the Tampa Bay (57), Orlando (14), Jacksonville (22), and Fort Myers (29) metropolitan areas.*

This initiative, branded Operation Home for the Holidays, had broad objectives.  Building upon the best practices and lessons learned from USMS Operation Dragon Eye (2025), Operation Home for the Holidays was orchestrated with an emphasis on the rapid availability of essential child services.  Months of preparation preceded the execution of Operation Home for the Holidays with significant portions of the planning process being devoted to child welfare.  Services provided by Operation Home for the Holidays included medical care, youth advocacy, juvenile justice coordination, foster care, and child placement.  Of the population of recovered youth, a significant portion of them were recipients of initiative specific child welfare services:**

     - Department of Children and Families (41)

     - Department of Juvenile Justice (29)

     - Health Care Services (66)

“What allows our Middle Florida based child recovery initiatives to stand out is the emphasis placed on what happens after,” said Bill Berger, U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Florida. “We know these children will have needs once we find them.  It only makes sense to build these operations alongside like-minded partners from across the child welfare space.”    

Operation Home for the Holidays provided care and opportunities for children previously unavailable to them:

• A young pregnant female received pre-natal care for the first time
• Two brothers were provided initial care for substance dependency and are being evaluated for treatment options
• A toddler was safely located in Mexico; U.S. and Mexican authorities are coordinating a care plan that best suits the interest of the child
• A young woman who identified safety concerns to child welfare officers was voluntarily relocated and placed in a secure home
• A young man with a significant juvenile justice history was for the first time provided with services pertaining to his alleged abuse

Operation Home for the Holidays partners located or recovered children across Florida and in nine other states ranging in age from 23 months to 17 years old.  A portion of these youth disclosed experiences relating to various types of abuse and proximity to other criminal activity.  These allegations, in conjunction with information developed by the task force, led to six felony arrests ranging from child neglect, custodial interference, narcotics possession, sexual assault, terroristic threats, and endangerment.  Several other criminal investigations predicated upon Operation Home for the Holidays are pending.  Additional felony arrests are anticipated.

“The United States Marshals Service is proud to stand with our partners across the state of Florida in pursuit of the safety and welfare of our children,” Berger said. “This operation was built based upon the wants and needs of our communities.  We are honored to play a leading role in answering those calls.  Welcome Home and Happy Holidays!”

*     denotes the number of youths located or recovered in each metropolitan area
**   denotes the number of youths provided with initiative specific child services