Task force recovers 57 missing, endangered local kids

Over 120 missing or endangered Central Florida children are now home for the holidays following a two-week multi-agency operation that spanned from Tampa Bay to Fort Myers.

Detectives from the St. Petersburg Police Department participated in the historic two-week initiative, dubbed Operation Home for the Holidays. The U.S. Marshals Service and a diverse array of federal, state, local and non-governmental partners celebrated the mission’s success Monday.

The collaborative effort resulted in the recovery of 122 children ranging in age from 2 to 17. At least one was pregnant and subsequently received prenatal care for the first time.

“Many have been through the unthinkable,” said Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. “They’ve been trafficked. They’ve been exploited. They’ve been abused.”

Uthmeier said the task force worked proactively to ensure the recovered children immediately received medical care and rehabilitative services. Partner agencies will continue offering that help and “find them homes where they are loved, where they are protected and where they will be empowered to lead successful lives.”

The task force located 57 vulnerable youth missing from Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough Counties. Operation Home for the Holidays also led to the rescue of 14 children from the Orlando metropolitan area, 22 from Jacksonville and 29 from Fort Myers.

Yolanda Fernandez, community awareness division manager, said the St. Petersburg Police Department “identified five runaway juveniles as targets for recovery.” They were all found within the operation’s first week.

SPPD detectives also helped outside agencies rescue three children who were “known to be in St. Petersburg.” Police Chief Anthony Holloway noted the initiative’s local benefits.

“Through this multi-agency operation, our detectives were able to search for missing and runaway youth without jurisdictional barriers,” Holloway told the Catalyst. “This collaboration strengthened our ability to locate and recover endangered teens quickly, while ensuring they received the support and resources needed for their safety and well-being.”

U.S. Marshal Bill Berger said his agency deemed the operation “mission critical,” which allowed it to receive federal funding during the government shutdown. Authorities located one child in Mexico, one in Guatemala and 11 in other states.

Six adults now face felony charges for child neglect, custodial interference, narcotics possession, sexual assault, terroristic threats and endangerment. Berger said agencies would make additional arrests “in the very near future.”

He noted that the U.S. Marshals Service’s Middle District of Florida ensures recovered children receive critical services immediately. “It makes sense to build these operations alongside like-minded partners from across the child welfare space,” Berger said.

The 200-person task force included the FBI, 11 sheriff’s offices, four police departments, four state agencies and 25 community partners. Berger called that “by far the largest combination of sworn and non-sworn, non-governmental organizations in the history of child recovery operations.”

Operation Home for the Holidays expanded upon best practices and lessons learned from Operation Dragon Eye. The previous initiative resulted in the recovery of 60 critically missing Tampa Bay children, including 11 from St. Petersburg, in June.

BayCare Health System participated in both operations. The organization has provided medical and mental health services for rescued youth since 2024.

“Our goal is to ensure that the kids who are brought to our recovery hub are welcomed into an environment that is safe, comforting and, most importantly, consensual,” said Tracey Kaley, director of clinical operations for behavioral health.

“Creating a positive healthcare experience is a first step to building trust. By doing so, it is our hope that this vulnerable group of kids will be more inclined to seek help in the future.”

Rita Peters, special counsel to the attorney general, said the level of teamwork exuded during Operation Home for the Holidays “doesn’t happen by accident.” The Tampa-based assistant statewide prosecutor explained that it “happens because leaders make it a priority.”

Peters said the collaborative approach helps identify exploitation patterns, human trafficking risks and “vulnerabilities that put children in harm’s way.” Partner agencies can then act quickly, effectively and “advocate more passionately.”

“Every child recovered during Operation Home for the Holidays is a child who now has a chance to be safe, supported and seen,” Peters added. “When prosecutors join these efforts, we ensure that every recovery is followed by the appropriate legal action, the services necessary and long-term protection.”