Florida Law Enforcement Rescues 163 Children in Global Sweep

Florida law enforcement agencies recovered 163 children across five continents during a five-day multi-agency initiative in mid-August 2026, state officials announced on Tuesday.

Operation Statewide Shield involved federal and international law enforcement agencies tracking missing minors aged between 2 months and 17 years. Officials reported that the recovered children included runaways as well as victims of abandonment, neglect, abuse, and human trafficking.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier stated that the multi-agency push targeted those preying on vulnerable youth.

"Many of these kids have been victimized by those who prey on the most vulnerable," said James Uthmeier, Florida Attorney General.

Uthmeier’s office noted that the operation was Florida's first statewide child-recovery initiative and the largest in state history.

"these children are now safe and receiving the care they deserve," said James Uthmeier, Florida Attorney General.

The Attorney General emphasized that state authorities will maintain their efforts to track down predators and prosecute offenders.

"Florida will continue leading the recovery of missing children, hunting down every predator and prosecuting abusers to the fullest extent of the law," said James Uthmeier, Florida Attorney General.

Rescuers located children in eight U.S. jurisdictions, including Florida, Alabama, California, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and Tennessee. Internationally, children were recovered in Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Dominica, Finland, Ghana, Guatemala, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Spain, and Taiwan.

A spokesman for the attorney general’s office confirmed that three men have been arrested so far in connection with the operation. Michael Prescott was arrested on Aug. 21 by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, felony battery, and aggravated assault. He also had an active warrant for interference with child custody.

Robert Ferral Allison was arrested on Aug. 20 by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for lewd and lascivious battery on a victim aged 12 to 16. Authorities also arrested Jayden Allen Harwood on charges of interference in a child custody case and resisting officers without violence.

Spokespersons indicated that investigators expect additional arrests as ongoing inquiries proceed.

"Many more investigations [have been] started," said a spokesman for Attorney General James Uthmeier's office. "More arrests are expected."

Following their rescue, local law enforcement transported the minors to regional hubs for assistance from social services, medical providers, child welfare professionals, and victim advocates. Some children reunited with their families, while others entered foster care, enabling the closure of their records with the Missing and Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse.

Led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the operation built on strategies from previous federal U.S. Marshals operations. Assisting organizations included the Office of Statewide Prosecution, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Juvenile Justice, Baycare, More to Life, the Florida Human Trafficking Victims Fund, federal partners, and 13 Florida county sheriff’s offices.