Florida law enforcement delivered a decisive blow to predators this summer when a multiagency recovery mission brought dozens of vulnerable children back to safety. The U.S. Marshals-led operation, dubbed Operation Dragon Eye, pulled 60 “critically missing” youngsters out of dangerous situations across the Tampa Bay area — a victory that should make every right-thinking American breathe a little easier.
This wasn’t a one-deputy effort; it was a coordinated strike involving 20 agencies and more than 100 officers, prosecutors, social workers and nonprofit partners working around the clock. The children recovered ranged from 9 to 17 years old and were immediately connected to medical care, counseling and child advocates to begin the long road to recovery.
Attorney General James Uthmeier stood shoulder to shoulder with federal and local leaders in Tampa and made clear this was only the beginning of a statewide push to hunt down those who prey on children. Officials announced multiple arrests on charges including human trafficking, child endangerment and narcotics, and even set jaw-dropping bonds when the stakes demanded it — a fitting message that Florida will not coddle monsters.
Conservatives should be proud of these boots-on-the-ground results because they prove what strong law enforcement and clear priorities can accomplish when politics are set aside. While Democrats and soft-on-crime elites wring their hands and peddle excuses, Florida’s leaders organized, executed and prioritized the safety of children — and that toughness saved lives.
This mission in Tampa is part of a larger national pattern of federal and state partnerships striking back against child exploitation — from FBI efforts that rescued well over a hundred kids in coordinated stings to local marshals’ recoveries across the country. Those who insist open borders, tech laxity and weak sentencing are harmless would do well to remember the human cost of their policies.
If we care about the next generation, we must fund more operations like Dragon Eye, give prosecutors the tools to lock these predators up long-term, and demand that Big Tech stop serving as an anonymous haven for grooming and exploitation. It’s not enough to applaud a press conference; voters and lawmakers must back policies that keep predators behind bars and children in safe homes.
Florida’s operation should be a rallying cry for every patriot who values law and order: support police, support victim services, and elect leaders who will put the safety of children above political convenience. The criminals who think they can hide in plain sight in the Sunshine State ought to hear this clearly — we are coming for you, and we will not stop.
