Unusual operation in Florida: 163 missing minors located across five continents
In a joint operation by Florida authorities and international agencies, minors aged two months to 18 were located, some of whom had run away from home, been kidnapped, or abandoned. So far, three suspects have been arrested, and the Florida Attorney General clarified: "Many more arrests are expected."
Florida authorities have located 163 missing minors, aged two months to 18, as part of a large-scale operation conducted in cooperation with federal authorities and international agencies, reported the American network Fox today, Tuesday.
The operation, dubbed "State Shield," is the first of its kind in the search efforts for missing persons in the state of Florida. The minors were located in various states across the USA, as well as in other countries including Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ghana, and Finland.
"Some of the missing are young people who ran away from home, some were kidnapped, and some were abandoned," said Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. According to him, most of them were harmed by those who prey on the most vulnerable populations.
As part of the operation, three men have been arrested so far, including Michael Prescott, who is charged with committing lewd acts on a minor and aggravated assault. Uthmeier clarified that the investigation is ongoing:
"We will continue to work until we bring to justice everyone who abuses the helpless. Many more arrests are expected."
