Operation Home for the Holidays, a two-week U.S. Marshals-led initiative, recovered 122 missing children aged 2–17 across Florida and beyond. Children were found in Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa; authorities also located 13 in nine other states and 2 in Mexico and Guatemala. Many victims suffered neglect, exploitation or physical and sexual abuse; some cases involved pornography, prostitution or drug activity. Six adults were arrested and more arrests are expected; rescued children were placed in state care and connected with recovery services.
Operation Home for the Holidays: 122 Missing Children Recovered in Major Florida Sweep
Operation Home for the Holidays, a two-week U.S. Marshals-led initiative, recovered 122 missing children aged 2–17 across Florida and beyond. Children were found in Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa; authorities also located 13 in nine other states and 2 in Mexico and Guatemala. Many victims suffered neglect, exploitation or physical and sexual abuse; some cases involved pornography, prostitution or drug activity. Six adults were arrested and more arrests are expected; rescued children were placed in state care and connected with recovery services.
08:10 AM, 11/18/2025Society
Florida authorities recover 122 missing children in two-week operation
Florida law enforcement officials announced the recovery of 122 missing, endangered and exploited children across the state in what authorities described as one of the largest child-recovery efforts in U.S. history. The operation, called Operation Home for the Holidays, was led by the U.S. Marshals Service and carried out over a two-week period in major Florida cities.
Recovered children ranged in age from 2 to 17 and were located in Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa. Authorities also said teams located 13 children in nine other U.S. states and recovered 2 children in Mexico and Guatemala. Many of the cases were tied to pornography operations, prostitution rings and drug-related activity.
Officials said the rescued youngsters were returned to state custody and connected immediately with recovery and support services. Victim advocates and child welfare specialists partnered with law enforcement on the ground to provide trauma-informed care and access to counseling, medical attention and safe placement.
"Every child rescued is a reminder of why we do this work," said Kash Patel. "We will not stop until every child is safe and every predator is held to account."
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier told reporters many of the children had experienced neglect, exploitation or exposure to criminal activity, and that some had been physically or sexually abused. "Many of them have been through the unthinkable," he said.
Authorities arrested six adults in connection with the operation and said more arrests are expected as investigations continue. Those detained will face prosecution to the fullest extent of the law, officials added.
Officials credited the operation’s success to rapid information-sharing, real-time intelligence and coordinated field operations that prioritized quick access to child-focused services. Taylor Hatch, secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families, said the effort demonstrated what state, local and federal partners can accomplish when they work together with urgency.
Law enforcement agencies emphasized that the recovery marks the beginning of a longer process to support each child through recovery, prosecution of offenders and preventing future exploitation.