In a historic crackdown on child exploitation, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the rescue of 115 children and the arrest of 205 suspected predators in a sweeping five-day operation conducted by the Department of Justice and FBI. The mission, dubbed Operation Restore Justice, is being hailed as the largest and most coordinated child rescue effort in U.S. history.
Spanning all 55 FBI field offices, the nationwide sweep targeted child sex trafficking rings, producers of child sexual abuse material, and online predators attempting to exploit minors. Bondi described the operation as “a message to every predator in America — we are watching, and we are coming for you.”
“This is justice in action,” Bondi stated. “If you are using the internet to groom, lure, or exploit a child, we will find you. You will be arrested, and you will face the full weight of the law.”
The operation uncovered predators from all walks of life — including a Minnesota state trooper accused of producing explicit material while in uniform, a former D.C. police officer with a prior conviction, and an illegal immigrant from Mexico charged with transporting a minor across state lines for sexual purposes.
FBI Director Kash Patel praised the joint effort, saying, “No predator is out of reach. No child will be forgotten. This operation shows our absolute resolve to track these monsters down and put them behind bars.”
Authorities emphasized the importance of parental vigilance, warning that many predators posed as teenagers or peers online to gain the trust of children. Bondi urged parents to actively monitor their children’s digital activity, calling the internet “the new hunting ground for those who prey on innocence.”
Operation Restore Justice is part of the DOJ’s broader Project Safe Childhood initiative, which continues to combat child exploitation through proactive law enforcement, digital forensics, and international cooperation.
The Trump administration has made combating child exploitation a top law enforcement priority, with a renewed focus on rapid response, technological tools, and harsher penalties for offenders.
This operation serves as a grim but powerful reminder of the threats children face — and a bold declaration that under this administration, those threats will be met with unflinching force.