Operation Dragon Eye, hailed as the most successful missing child recovery effort in U.S. Marshals Service history, has culminated in the rescue of 60 critically missing children and the arrest of eight individuals in Florida’s Tampa Bay area. This two-week initiative brought together 20 agencies under the leadership of the U.S. Marshals Service to combat child sex trafficking across Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties. What specific steps did law enforcement take to capture sex traffickers?
Historic Child Rescue Operation Recovers 60 Missing Children
Operation Dragon Eye, a concentrated two-week initiative in Florida’s Tampa Bay area, has successfully recovered 60 critically missing children aged 9 to 17 from the clutches of sex trafficking networks. The operation, announced on June 23, 2025, represents an unprecedented collaborative effort between federal, state, and local agencies to combat the exploitation of minors.
Led by the U.S. Marshals Service for the Central District of Florida under the Trump-led Justice Department, the initiative involved 20 different agencies working in concert to locate and rescue children from Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties. William Berger, the U.S. Marshal who oversaw the operation, called it “the most successful missing child recovery effort in the history of the United States Marshals Service.”
JUST IN: Massive child predator sting “Operation Dragon Eye” in FL led to the arrests of eight suspects on charges including human trafficking, child endangerment, and drug possession.
SIXTY missing kids were rescued. pic.twitter.com/BLUS7ZpXqs
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 23, 2025
Eight Arrests Made as Florida Takes Strong Stance Against Traffickers
The operation resulted in eight arrests on charges including human trafficking, child endangerment, drug possession, and drug trafficking. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier emphasized the state’s zero-tolerance approach, stating, “If you victimize children, you’re going to prison, end of story.”
The success of Operation Dragon Eye highlights Florida’s position as a leader in combating human trafficking, despite being among the top three states for reported cases alongside California and Texas. Governor Ron DeSantis and state leaders have responded to this challenge by increasing funding and enacting stricter penalties for those involved in trafficking.
Florida’s Operation Dragon Eye rescues 60 ‘critically missing’ children in massive sting https://t.co/Ydt6b3P32I pic.twitter.com/ggSXYrGFh9
— New York Post (@nypost) June 25, 2025
Comprehensive Care for Rescued Children
Each rescued child received immediate medical evaluations and access to essential psychological services as part of the operation’s victim-centered approach. The initiative revealed troubling details about the extent of exploitation, including cases where young girls were found pregnant by their traffickers.
Of the children recovered, 69% had gone missing from their communities, while 31% had disappeared from foster homes. Callahan Walsh from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children praised the operation, saying, “The success of Operation DRAGON EYE is a testament to what’s possible when agencies unite with a shared mission to protect children.”
The USMS has demonstrated a consistent commitment to this mission, having located or recovered more than 3,967 missing children since 2015. Commissioner Mark Glass of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement delivered a clear message following the operation’s success: “Sixty kids saved. That number sends the message that Florida will never be a safe place for traffickers.”