In a coordinated five-day effort that officials call the largest of its kind in Florida history, state authorities recovered 163 missing children ranging in age from two months to 17 years. The operation, named Operation Statewide Shield, took place in mid-August 2026 and extended well beyond Florida’s borders, reaching multiple U.S. states, a U.S. territory, and a dozen countries on several continents.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the results, describing the mission as the state’s first full statewide child-recovery initiative planned and led primarily by Florida agencies rather than under federal command. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) directed the effort, drawing on experience from earlier operations involving the U.S. Marshals Service. Partners included the Office of Statewide Prosecution, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Juvenile Justice, numerous sheriff’s offices, municipal police departments, federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations focused on child welfare and human trafficking.

Within Florida, recoveries were concentrated in major population centers. The Tampa Bay region accounted for 46 children, Miami for 41, Jacksonville for 32, Orlando for 21, Fort Myers for 12, Pensacola for 8, and Tallahᴀssee for 3. Outside the state, children were located in Alabama, California, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Puerto Rico. International recoveries spanned Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Dominica, Finland, Ghana, Guatemala, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Spain, and Taiwan.

According to officials, the children came from a range of difficult circumstances. Some were runaways. Others had been abandoned, neglected, or exposed to exploitation and related criminal activity. Uthmeier stated that many had been victimized by people who target the most vulnerable. Once located, the children were taken to designated recovery hubs staffed by social-service workers, medical providers, child-welfare specialists, victim advocates, and other support professionals. Some were reunited with family members; others were placed in foster care. The recoveries also allowed authorities to close cases in the state’s Missing and Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse.

Several arrests were made during the operation, with additional investigations still underway and more arrests expected. Among those charged were Michael Corey Prescott, who faces multiple counts of lewd and lascivious acts involving a minor along with other related offenses and already had an active warrant for interference with child custody; Robert Ferral Allison, charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a victim between the ages of 12 and 16; and Jayden Allen Harwood, charged with interference with child custody and resisting officers without violence.

“Many of these kids have been victimized by those who prey on the most vulnerable,” Uthmeier said. “Thanks to the outstanding work of FDLE, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, and our state and local partners, these children are now safe and receiving the care they deserve. Florida will continue leading the recovery of missing children, hunting down every predator, and prosecuting abusers to the fullest extent of the law.”

The operation relied on real-time intelligence sharing and coordinated field teams operating from regional hubs across the state. Officials highlighted the collaboration between local, state, federal, and international partners as a key factor in the scale of the recoveries. While the effort focused on locating and safeguarding the children, authorities also stressed their ongoing commitment to identifying and prosecuting those responsible for harming them.

Operation Statewide Shield stands as a significant demonstration of multi-agency coordination aimed at protecting missing and at-risk youth both inside Florida and in broader national and international networks. Further updates on additional arrests and the status of the recovered children are expected as investigations continue.

Sources: Fox News