Massive Sting Rescues Dozens of Missing Kids From Traffickers in North Florida [WATCH]

More than three dozen missing children were recovered from sex traffickers during a large-scale, multi-agency operation in North Florida, federal authorities announced Thursday.

The operation, known as Operation Northern Lights, resulted in the recovery of 43 missing children across 14 counties in North Florida, with additional children located in other states, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

The effort spanned two weeks and led to the arrest of nine individuals, with additional charges expected.

Federal officials said the youngest victims were one year old.

Authorities confirmed that at least one child had been abducted from Florida and was later found in Louisiana.

“This was the most successful missing child operation ever conducted in Northern Florida,” Greg Leljedal, acting U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Florida, said.

“Because of the tireless dedication of the U.S. Marshals and our law enforcement partners, 43 endangered children will now be home safe for the holidays.”

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Leljedal said the mission extended beyond locating missing children and focused on immediate care for the victims.

“The mission was not only about finding the missing children, but also providing immediate physical and psychological care to help them begin the path to healing,” he said.

Authorities detailed several individual recoveries that occurred during the operation.

One one-year-old child missing from Leon County was found in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Another one-year-old missing from Okaloosa County was located outside Jackson, Mississippi, along with a 17-year-old.

In that case, a non-custodial adult was arrested on interference with child custody charges.

Other recoveries included a 17-year-old missing from Suwannee County found in Meadville, Mississippi; a 13-year-old missing from Suwannee County located in Jacksonville; and a 15-year-old missing from Okaloosa County found in Ocala.

The U.S. Marshals Service said the scale and coordination of Operation Northern Lights had not previously been undertaken in Northern Florida.

More than 80 personnel from 25 different agencies participated, including law enforcement, social services, prosecutors’ offices, and nonprofit organizations.

All of the children involved were classified as “critically missing,” meaning authorities believed they faced elevated risks of serious harm, including sexual exploitation, violent crime, substance abuse, domestic violence, or exposure to criminal activity.

“Every child deserves to be safe, and we will continue to use every resource at our disposal to bring missing children home and support their families,” Nicholas G. Ingegno, Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge, said.

Following their recovery, the children were provided with medical care, food, and access to social services. Child advocates were also assigned to assist with placement and ongoing support.

Derrick Driscoll, chief operating officer of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, said each recovery represented an opportunity to prevent future harm.

“Each recovery represents a child removed from harm’s way and an opportunity to connect them with resources that can help prevent future victimization,” Driscoll said.

Authorities said the operation was conducted under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, which authorizes the U.S. Marshals Service to assist local and state agencies in missing child investigations.

Since the law was enacted, nearly 4,000 missing children have been located nationwide, representing a 66 percent recovery rate, according to the agency.

Numerous sheriff’s offices across North Florida participated, including those in Leon, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Jackson, Wakulla, Madison, Taylor, Suwannee, Alachua, and Marion counties.

Municipal police departments involved included Tallahassee, Pensacola, and Crestview.

Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Randy Tifft said some of the cases involved adults targeting vulnerable minors online.

“They coerce a lot of these young kids on online apps to meet up with them,” Tifft told WEAR.

“And a lot of them are kids that are having some troubles in schools or troubles at home.”

State agencies that assisted included the Florida Attorney General’s Office, Department of Law Enforcement, Highway Patrol, Department of Children and Families, and Department of Juvenile Justice. Federal partners included Homeland Security Investigations.

Advocacy groups credited for assisting in the operation included the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Called2Rescue, and Shadows of Strength.

“This operation was carried out through a strong partnership between multiple agencies,” Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil said.

“No child will be left behind.”

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier praised the operation in a post on X, writing, “Our office was honored to partner with U.S. Marshal Greg Leljedal in the Northern District of Florida to rescue 43 missing children, some as young as 18 months old. We will bring the strongest charges possible against those who put these kids in harm’s way.”

Our office was honored to partner with U.S. Marshal Greg Leljedal in the Northern District of Florida to rescue 43 missing children, some as young as 18 months old.

We will bring the strongest charges possible against those who put these kids in harm’s way.… pic.twitter.com/z7EvC1t4mR

— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) December 18, 2025