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Florida rescues 60 missing kids in nation’s largest-ever operation

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Florida authorities have recovered 60 “critically missing” children in a two-week operation across the Tampa Bay area. The joint state and federal effort, dubbed Operation Dragon Eye, led to eight arrests and uncovered new human trafficking investigations.

Key Details:

  • The children, aged 9 to 17, were found across Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties. The operation was carried out with help from the U.S. Marshals, state prosecutors, and local police departments.

  • Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier confirmed eight individuals were arrested on charges including human trafficking, child endangerment, and drug-related offenses. Additional investigations are underway.

  • The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) hailed the operation as the most successful child recovery effort in U.S. history, declaring, “Florida doesn’t look the other way — we hunt predators and bring kids home.”

Diving Deeper:

Over a two-week span, law enforcement agencies across Florida joined forces for what’s being called a historic child recovery mission. Dubbed Operation Dragon Eye, the coordinated effort led to the rescue of 60 critically missing children—some as young as 9 years old—in the Tampa Bay region, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties.

According to Fox 13, federal and state agencies worked alongside local law enforcement, with direct involvement from the U.S. Marshals Service and Florida prosecutors. The term “critically missing,” as defined by the Marshals Service, applies to minors facing heightened threats such as exposure to violent crime, sexual exploitation, substance abuse, or domestic violence.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier praised the operation’s success in a statement posted to social media Monday. “We will keep fighting evil head-on and bringing accountability to those who harm children,” he said, confirming eight suspects had been taken into custody, with additional investigations now underway related to human trafficking networks.

Charges filed against the arrested individuals include human trafficking, child endangerment, custodial interference, and drug possession.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement described the effort as “the most successful missing child recovery operation in American history.” In a statement, the agency said its analysts and field agents “were proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. Marshals” and emphasized that “Florida doesn’t look the other way.”

Several nonprofits and local support groups played a vital role in caring for the recovered children, including More Too Life, the Children’s Home Network, Bridging Freedom, Bridges of Hope, Family Support Services of Pasco and Pinellas, and Redefining Refuge.

Dr. Katherine Gomez of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice said many of these children had felt hopeless and alone. “Oftentimes these young people have felt like there’s no one in their corner. They feel abandoned… like they have to look out for themselves because no one else will,” she told WFLA.

FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass acknowledged the emotional toll such operations take on officers, who are exposed to the trauma these children endure. “They have to see everything that happens to these children, and we need to pray for them because they had to take that burden home,” he said.

Glass added that while the operation struck a major blow to human trafficking in the region, the threat remains. “The fight isn’t over.”

U.S. Marshal Bill Berger of the Middle District of Florida warned that traffickers often return to their victims if not apprehended. “If the offenders are not apprehended, they will reconnect with these children. They are, in my opinion, leeches,” Berger stated.

Officials vowed continued vigilance to keep predators behind bars and ensure every vulnerable child is found and protected.

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Crime

UK finally admits clear evidence linking Pakistanis and child grooming gangs

Published on June 21, 2025

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After years of denial and political cover-ups, the UK government has formally acknowledged a disturbing link between Pakistani-heritage men and child grooming gangs. A scathing new review has prompted Prime Minister Keir Starmer to reverse course and launch a full national inquiry into the widespread abuse.

Key Details:

  • The Casey Review found “clear evidence” of Pakistani men’s overrepresentation in grooming gangs and accused authorities of ignoring the abuse to avoid accusations of racism.
  • Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed over 800 historic child sex abuse cases will be reopened and prosecuted where possible.
  • The Labour Party and Prime Minister Starmer were previously opposed to a national inquiry, with critics calling this reversal a politically motivated “smokescreen.”

Diving Deeper:

The British government has finally acknowledged a link between Pakistani-heritage men and the grooming gang epidemic that has plagued communities across England for decades. The admission comes following the release of a damning public review led by Baroness Louise Casey, which uncovered years of institutional failure, racial sensitivity, and political cowardice.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper presented the findings in Parliament, confirming that the Casey Review had “identified clear evidence of over-representation among suspects of Asian and Pakistani-heritage men.” She condemned the systematic rape of vulnerable girls—some as young as 10—and the authorities’ “unforgivable” failure to act.

“The sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes,” Cooper said, noting that too many warnings had been ignored over the last 15 years. She announced that the government would adopt all of Baroness Casey’s recommendations and reopen more than 800 historic cases.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who previously dismissed calls for a national inquiry as “far-right misinformation,” abruptly changed course over the weekend and agreed to a full inquiry with legal authority to compel testimony. This reversal followed mounting pressure from campaigners like Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, Elon Musk, and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage.

Labour MP Sarah Champion, once ousted for raising alarms about Pakistani grooming gangs in her Rotherham constituency, welcomed the inquiry. “There’s a real sense justice has not been handed out fairly,” she said, accusing officials of failing victims for fear of “causing offense.”

The Casey review also pointed to illegal immigration as a contributing factor and called for mandatory ethnicity data collection in child exploitation cases. Critics argue that authorities in Labour-run areas turned a blind eye to the abuse—some allegedly in exchange for votes—treating white working-class girls as expendable while shielding perpetrators.

Former detective and grooming whistleblower Maggie Oliver expressed skepticism, warning that unless the inquiry is led by Baroness Casey, it risks becoming another whitewash. “This is about gross criminal neglect at the top of policing, at the top of government, at the top of social services,” Oliver said.

While the inquiry marks a long-overdue step toward accountability, some warn it may be politically perilous for Starmer. As former head of the Crown Prosecution Service, he held a central role when many of these abuses first surfaced. And with many of the cover-ups tied to Labour councils, the fallout could deepen public distrust in the party.

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Crime

Minnesota shooter arrested after 48-hour manhunt

Published on June 16, 2025

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Vance Luther Boelter, accused of killing former Minnesota State House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, was captured Sunday after leading law enforcement on a 48-hour manhunt.

Key Details:

  • Boelter allegedly began his rampage around 2 a.m. Saturday at Sen. Hoffman’s Champlin home, shooting both the senator and his wife, Yvette. The couple survived after emergency surgery.

  • He then traveled to Rep. Melissa Hortman’s Brooklyn Park home, where she was pronounced dead at the scene and her husband died shortly afterward at a hospital.

  • The suspect reportedly sent a farewell message to friends before fleeing and was later arrested in a Sibley County field Sunday night.

Diving Deeper:

Vance Luther Boelter, the man accused of carrying out a targeted shooting of Democrat lawmakers in Minnesota, was taken into custody Sunday night following a 48-hour manhunt that spanned multiple counties. According to a report from Alpha News, Boelter was arrested in a field in rural Sibley County after evading police for more than a day following the deadly shootings.

Boelter, 57, previously served as an appointee under Gov. Tim Walz and is accused of murdering former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and injuring State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Authorities say Boelter disguised himself as a police officer—complete with a uniform, ballistic vest, and Halloween mask—before launching the coordinated attacks early Saturday morning.

The violence began just after 2 a.m. when Boelter allegedly entered the Hoffman residence in Champlin and opened fire. Both the senator and his wife were struck multiple times. Their daughter, Hope, was reportedly shielded from the gunfire by her mother. The couple’s nephew confirmed that both John and Yvette Hoffman underwent surgery and were listed in stable condition by Sunday.

From there, Boelter allegedly drove to Brooklyn Park and carried out a second attack at the home of Speaker Emerita Hortman. The 55-year-old lawmaker was found dead inside the home, while her husband was transported to a hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Brooklyn Park police officers, alerted by the earlier incident, arrived as Boelter was leaving the Hortman residence. A standoff ensued, with officers briefly cornering the suspect inside the house and opening fire, though Boelter managed to flee.

Boelter reportedly sent a chilling text message to close friends. “David and Ron, I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while,” he wrote. “May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way.”

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