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Grey Bull Rescue Marks One Year Since Daring Mission to Rescue Five American Children Kidnapped in Gaza

Anniversary Comes Amid Renewed Hope Following Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal 

 TAMPA, Fla. [January 23, 2024] — One year ago, the team at Grey Bull Rescue, made headlines for its daring rescue of five American children kidnapped in Gaza. The veteran-led nonprofit, recognized for its high-stakes international missions, reunited the kidnapped children with their mother in a bold, daring, and cunning operation that demonstrated its unwavering commitment to rescuing Americans in crisis, no matter the danger. With the recent ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas bringing renewed hope for a total hostage release, Grey Bull Rescue reflects on the courage and creativity that define the organization, and made this mission a success. 

The American children from Tampa, Florida, ages 4 to 11, were taken hostage in Gaza during a family visit in August 2023, months before Hamas launched its brutal attacks on October 7. Congresswoman Laura Lee (R-Tampa) contacted Grey Bull Rescue for assistance, as the family was from her district and had asked for her assistance as well. The FBI, U.S. State Department, and other U.S. governmental agencies had been working to locate the kidnapper or the kidnapped children for many months without any substantial progress. The case was hard and had gone cold. After October 7 when hundreds were taken hostage and thousands killed, many believed it would be impossible to rescue these American children from captivity “somewhere” in Gaza, along with the many other hostages taken in the middle of a full-scale war. 

Fortunately, the Grey Bull Rescue team had already established strong networks in Gaza and had been successfully rescuing Americans from Israel, Gaza, and neighboring regions for months. They made headlines by partnering with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to help bring hundreds of American families home. Then, in January—exactly one year ago today—the team caught a lucky break, uncovering a lead that provided a tactical advantage against the kidnapper and offering a glimmer of hope to the mother and a window of opportunity for the children.  The team had to act fast as by now the Israelis were bombing and attacking Hamas in Gaza with impunity, borders were closed, and the threat had never been higher.  

After engaging with the mother of the children, who had now been separated from her children for almost six months, a small operations team of seasoned intelligence professionals led by Grey Bull Rescue Chairman and Founder Bryan Stern initiated Operation: BOOMERANG. This highly technical and dangerous mission brought the team, literally, face-to-face with the hostage taker from Gaza on his own turf. In a meticulously and flawlessly executed operation filled with tradecraft, deception, and intelligence demonstrating supreme military precision and relentless tenacity, Grey Bull Rescue successfully located the children, baited the kidnapper into a trap, rescued the children from captivity, and extracted them from hostile control. The operation required the team to use intelligence pretexts and pretenses to lure the hostage taker with the children into a trap designed by Grey Bull Rescue’s team of special operations and intelligence veterans to ensure a safe rescue. The team had requested assistance from the U.S. State Department as did the mother, which was unavailable. Grey Bull Rescue was the last resort and the only option.    

The operation culminated with an emotional reunion of the rescued children and their mother in Egypt. Following the mission’s success, the mother, rescued children, and the operations team returned home to Tampa Bay—a powerful testament to Grey Bull Rescue’s unwavering commitment to bringing Americans safely out of captivity anytime, anywhere. 

“This mission was deeply personal,” said Stern. “When we heard a mother’s desperate plea for her children, we knew failure was not an option. These are American kids, from Tampa, kidnapped in Gaza. They were just children trapped in a brutal war. We moved heaven and earth, going where others wouldn’t dare, to rescue these kids back. No bureaucracy, no delays—just a bias for action. That’s what we do. For every family we reunite, for every life we save, it’s a reminder of why we fight – For our people.” 

Operation: BOOMERANG is a textbook example of Grey Bull Rescue’s ability to operate with impunity and success in “The Grey Space”—the complex, often lawless zones where conventional and government solutions fail and are not available. The nonprofit is never the first option, rather they are the last resort and operate at what they call ‘The Speed of Need’. Operation: BOOMERANG was initiated after all other options failed.

The first anniversary of this mission coincides with the eve of a new hostage deal and ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, highlighting continued volatility in the region and the importance of organizations like Grey Bull Rescue to save Americans held in captivity by enemies of the United States. Negotiated hostage releases like we see this week are always the safest. Sadly, they take time, and all too often time runs out for those being held captive.     

 “While diplomacy may offer temporary peace on a large scale and negotiations are an excellent tool in these circumstances, they do take a long time. All the while the families and the hostages are suffering daily. The need for swift, decisive, and unconventional action—boots on the ground, led by courageous Americans—remains a critical capability, especially during times of crisis,” said Stern. “Kidnapped American children, simply don’t have time to spare in a war zone like Gaza. Our team excels at these moments of crisis where an unconventional and creative solution to a hard problem is needed —when other options are exhausted or unavailable, the window for action is closing, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Grey Bull Rescue runs at the ‘Speed of Need’. This mission wasn’t just about war; it was about ensuring that no mother had to endure the nightmare of losing her children to conflict. Our work reminds the world that when bureaucracy fails, there are still those who will step up and fight for what’s right with no questions asked. Some people watch from afar, some people talk, some people remind the enemy that there will be hell to pay, Grey Bull Rescue conducts rescue operations to save our people from evil.” 

 To learn more and support Grey Bull Rescue’s vital missions, visit GreyBullRescue.org.   

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 About Grey Bull Rescue: Founded and led by Bryan Stern, Grey Bull Rescue is a veteran-led, donor-supported international rescue organization and filed 501(c)(3) non-profit headquartered in Tampa, Florida, with global operations. Specializing in operations within “The Grey Space,” in conflict zones where the U.S. Government does not have access or a presence, Grey Bull Rescue conducts evacuations and daring rescues of innocent civilians impacted by conflict, war, kidnappings, hostages, human trafficking, and natural disasters worldwide. Bryan Stern, the Founder and former CEO of Project DYNAMO, led the first air-rescue missions from Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover and has conducted daring rescue missions behind enemy lines, rescuing thousands of Americans and allies from captivity, torture, and unlawful detention in countries including Sudan, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Haiti, Lebanon, and Syria. These operations included the rescues of numerous American hostages including the first American victim of war crimes alive since World War II. Additionally, the team executed lifesaving missions in the United States during the Maui & California wildfires, and Hurricanes Ian, Helene, and Milton. To date, Stern and his team have conducted more than 700 missions worldwide and saved the lives of more than 7,100 men, women, children, babies, and counting.