Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier released a comprehensive year-end review this week, characterizing 2025 as a historic period for public safety and legal enforcement in the Sunshine State. The report details a wide range of actions taken by the office, ranging from aggressive immigration enforcement and retail theft crackdowns to high-profile legal battles against major corporations and social platforms.
“The accomplishments this office achieved this year are ones for the record book,” Uthmeier stated regarding the report. “We’ve locked up more dangerous criminals than ever before, rescued hundreds of missing children, and secured hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of Florida consumers.”
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Crime, Punishment, and Rescue Operations
A significant portion of the Attorney General’s report focuses on criminal convictions and child safety. Since Uthmeier’s appointment in February, the office reports the arrest of over 1,200 alleged child predators. In 2025 alone, the Office of Statewide Prosecution secured convictions against 382 defendants, resulting in a collective 1,688 years of prison time.
The state also highlighted the results of two major child-recovery missions—Operations Dragon Eye and Home for the Holidays. Conducted alongside the U.S. Marshals Service, these operations contributed to the rescue of more than 300 missing or endangered children.
On the financial crime front, a newly convened Retail Theft Investigative Special Task Force reported securing over $5.3 million in restitution and more than 130 years in prison sentences for offenders involved in organized retail theft rings.
Immigration and “Alligator Alcatraz”
The AG’s office doubled down on border enforcement strategies in 2025. The report highlights the launch of “Alligator Alcatraz,” a specialized facility for detaining undocumented immigrants, which remained operational following a court battle with federal activists.
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Uthmeier also took the legal fight across state lines. Following a fatal accident on the Florida Turnpike involving an undocumented driver, the AG successfully petitioned federal transportation authorities to revoke commercial driver’s license authority from Washington and California.
The office subsequently filed suit against those states over their sanctuary policies.
Battles Over “Big Tech” and Corporate Policy
The year saw Florida taking aim at several global corporations regarding consumer protection and ideological disputes. The AG’s office filed lawsuits against gaming giant Roblox and social media platform Snap, Inc., alleging failure to protect minors from sexual predators and illicit content.
A separate civil enforcement action targeted Roku, Inc. over allegations of unauthorized data collection from children.
Uthmeier also challenged corporate governance policies, filing suit against Starbucks over alleged race-based hiring quotas and suing Target Corporation regarding financial disclosures related to the company’s LGBTQ activism.
Foreign influence in technology was another target, with subpoenas issued to companies like TP-Link Systems, Lorex, and Contec to investigate potential cybersecurity risks and ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
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Healthcare, Social Issues, and Parental Rights
The report underscores a continued focus on hot-button social issues. The newly established Office of Parental Rights (OPR) intervened in school districts regarding book content and summer camp sleeping arrangements.
Legal actions in the healthcare sector included a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood regarding the marketing of abortion drugs and a challenge to the FDA’s approval of mifepristone. Additionally, the AG filed what is described as the nation’s first lawsuit against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding gender-affirming care for minors.
In the realm of consumer health, the office utilized emergency rules to classify 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a kratom derivative, as a Schedule I controlled substance following concerns over addiction risks.
Legislative Goals for 2026
Looking toward the next legislative session, Uthmeier outlined four priority proposals:
- Missy’s Law: A bill to revoke bond for those convicted of dangerous crimes and limit judicial discretion in post-conviction release.
- Mental Health Accountability: A proposal to replace the current insanity defense with a narrower standard to prevent the evasion of criminal responsibility.
- Prosecutor Retirement: A move to add prosecutors to the Special Risk Class of the Florida Retirement System.
- Adoption Restrictions: Legislation preventing registered sex offenders and animal abusers from becoming parents through surrogacy or adoption.
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