QUANTICO, VA –
NCIS recently collaborated with federal, state, local, and non-governmental partners in Operation Home for the Holidays, a two-week youth-recovery initiative that resulted in the recovery or safe location of 122 missing or endangered children.
Personnel from NCIS Resident Agency Mayport and NCIS Resident Unit Tampa participated in the U.S. Marshals Service-led joint, multi-disciplinary task force, which aimed to rapidly locate missing children at risk of human smuggling and disrupt exploitation and trafficking networks across Florida and nine other states. NCIS participation, which included providing analytical support and recovering missing children from locations identified in targeting packages, directly contributed to the rescue of 20 of these children.
The operation also focused on ensuring the recovered children received immediate access to essential services. Each child was transferred to a safe location and provided medical care, youth advocacy, juvenile-justice coordination, foster-care support, and child-placement assistance. The Florida Department of Children and Families, or the appropriate child-welfare agency, assumed custody of the children.
The children, ranging in age from 23 months to 17 years old, disclosed experiences of abuse and proximity to criminal activity. These allegations, combined with evidence developed through the task-force investigations, led to six adults being arrested on felony charges that include child neglect, custodial interference, narcotics possession, sexual assault, failure to register as a sex offender, terroristic threats, and endangerment. Several additional investigations stemming from Operation Home for the Holidays remain active, and further arrests are anticipated.
"Proactive operations like Operation Home for the Holidays protect the most vulnerable members of our communities from those who would target and exploit them,” said Special Agent in Charge Norman Dominesey of the NCIS Southeast Field Office. “NCIS and our partners remain committed to disrupting child exploitation and holding predators accountable.”
Operation Home for the Holidays highlights the critical role of interagency partnerships in protecting vulnerable youth. NCIS remains steadfast in its mission to disrupt exploitation networks, safeguard children, and support the Department of the Navy and our communities worldwide.
If you have information about a missing or endangered child, or suspect criminal activity targeting minors, contact local law enforcement or submit a tip through the NCIS Tips app or online at
www.ncis.navy.mil.