27 endangered kids rescued in Tampa Bay area operation

FOX 13 News Staff
·2 min read

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TAMPA, Fla. - A US Marshals operation spanning five weeks rescued 27 of the Tampa Bay area's most endangered children.

Operation Seminole Saber was a five-week initiative aimed at recovering or safely locating the most critically missing youth from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

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The US Marshals Service (USMS) opened 33 missing child assistance cases during the operation and closed 27 of those investigations.

The USMS worked with several federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Tampa Police Department, St. Petersburg Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and others.

Seventeen of the cases that were opened related to human trafficking victims and/or juvenile arrest warrants, according to authorities.

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"The resources offered to find missing children through Operation Seminole Saber were invaluable because often we have very few leads," St. Pete Police Chief Anthony Holloway said. "Also, having community partnerships available to provide health and support services for recovered youth was important as sadly, missing youth often neglect their own health needs while they are on their own."

The Florida DJJ cleared 10 juvenile arrest warrants across Hillsborough and Pinellas counties through the operation, representing a clearance rate of nearly 80% of the open warrant cases in the operation.

"There is no more rewarding United States Marshals Service mission than our charter to assist our law enforcement and other community partners with the safe location or recovery of our nation's missing children," said U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Florida William Berger. "The Middle District of Florida is proud of the partnerships we've been able to develop and reinforce as a result of Operation SEMINOLE SABER as well as the positive impact this initiative has had upon the Tampa Bay community."