Tampa-based non-profit enroute to Middle East to evacuate Americans amidst Iran-Israel conflict

Project DYNAMO aims to rescue Floridians from Middle East

FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.

TAMPA - A local veteran non-profit is working to get Americans, including Tampa Bay area residents, out of the Middle East and home safe.

Since its creation back in 2021, Project DYNAMO has rescued more than 7,000 Americans from conflict zones and disaster areas across the world.

What we know:

Its teams are made up of former Special Forces and intelligence officers and volunteers from all across the nation.

They're currently en route to the region to evacuate Americans as missile strikes and bombings escalate between Iran and Israel.

CEO Mario Duarte says there are teams in Jordan and Israel already.

"We can do it via air or land or using ships and boats," he said. "We can use multiple routes to make sure our people get to a safe location and from there we can help them find a way back home."

So far, they've seen an uptick in requests for rescue.

Duarte says they're stepping up to help because there's always a gap in response capabilities.

"There are millions of Americans at any given time around the world and the U.S. government is not always capable to respond to all of them. That's why Project DYNAMO exists," said Duarte.

The backstory:

After Hamas invaded and attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the donor-funded organization and Gov. Ron DeSantis helped charter evacuation flights for hundreds of Americans out of Israel.

In this latest conflict, Duarte says, ideally, they can have evacuees safely back in the US within 72 hours.

"Seeing a mother and father embrace their child or grandpa holding their grandchildren. That's why we do it. To make sure American families are back together, and we'll keep doing it so long as we're needed," said Duarte.

American citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, and allies of the U.S. in need of evacuation are urgently requested to register by clicking here.

The Source: FOX 13's Carla Bayron gathered the information for this story.

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