Operation Underground Railroad Rescues Nine Girls Being Pimped by Their High School Teacher

Tim Ballard, founder and CEO of Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R), joined Glenn in studio, along with colleague Matt Osborne, to discuss one of their latest rescue operations in South America. Osborne, formally with the CIA and State Department, led the operation that resulted in nine girls being rescued and the arrest of their high school physical education teacher who was pimping them out. Matt shared the harrowing details surrounding O.U.R.'s rescue mission.

Become a modern day abolitionist by visiting OurRescue.org to get informed and make a donation.

Listen to this segment from The Glenn Beck Program...

GLENN: Operation Underground Railroad. Tim Ballard is joining us with an update on some kids that have recently been rescued, thanks to you and this audience. Thank you for your support on trying to end slavery and free some children. Hi, Tim, how are you?

TIM: Hi, great. Thanks for having us back.

GLENN: So can you talk about the operation that you just did?

TIM: Yes, we just got back recently. It was amazing. We brought your own chief investigator with us, so he could be eyes on. And I'm lucky to bring Matt Osborne, formally of the CIA and state department, and he led that operation. And some amazing things happened. And I'm going to let Matt tell you what they are.

MATT: Thank you. So, again, thanks to your audience. Unbelievable. The resources we were able to go down to South America, as specific as we'll be now. In the coming days, we can talk a little bit more. There I believe in the small little place near the Amazon, there was a professor, a high school physical education teacher pimping out nine of his students. Both in positive ways. Hey, if you do this, you get good grades, a little bit of money. And in negative ways. If you don't do this. If you don't allow these men to do whatever they want, I will tell your parents, I will do all of these things. So we were so blessed. We went down. We had our aftercare team in place. Minutes before the operation, operation underground railroad sent a prayer request out to all of our supporters, many probably in this audience, and we had a miracle. Not only were all of the girls rescued, ten of them total, two traffickers arrested, including this teacher, Jason will talk a little bit more about it next week. But our aftercare team not only was on the ground, they were able to go in with the South American countries child protective services equivalent. Be there, and minutes after the rescue, they stayed all afternoon, all evening, all night with the girls.

GLENN: That doesn't happen.

MATT: Doesn't happen.

GLENN: The worst thing about your job, besides having to see what you guys see, you never get the satisfaction of seeing the kids rescued, them knowing that you're a good guy. They see you guys being hauled away in handcuffs, and they just think you're a dirt bag.

TIM: And oftentimes they're scoffing. Yeah, you get yours. No, we were here for you.

MATT: Or spit on you as we're on the ground.

TIM: It's tough. It's tough.

GLENN: So this time, they did. I mean, you got to see the joy in many of them. How did you find out about a teacher doing this?

MATT: So we're very fortunate to have great relationships with the federal governments in several countries through the U.S. embassy, through Homeland Security. They, in this case, said we don't have the resources to go to the outer reaches of our country, but we will give you the green light. Your operation underground railroad operatives, go and see what you find. We sent three Americans about a month or two just in this area, they took an Amazon river cruise, they got the word around that they were looking for a certain type of product and one person led to another who led to this teacher. Real miracle that we were able to find it.

GLENN: So this was a fishing trip, really. I mean, you go on -- I mean, I've seen you do this, like, in Bangkok and in Haiti where you go where the sex trafficking is happening. But this, again, you only found that teacher not from a tip but just from a fishing expedition.

MATT: That's correct. To be on a jump team and to go where this need is, and that's how this happened.

TIM: There's places in the world that are so dark, the darkest corners of the planet where kids are being held with zero hope that anyone's going to find them. Their own governments are saying we don't work up there. And they know that. So we become the only hope. Because we will go into the places that even governments won't go or can't go. And to just have that hope out there for those kids who are locked up.

GLENN: Do you have any idea -- did the parents or did the school have any idea any of this stuff was going on?

MATT: The school said they did not. The professor was fired three hours after this news hit. He is no longer -- he's in jail now. They claim that they did not know anything. The parents from what we get, half the parents claim to have no idea and then half the parents now in the interviews, there are a couple of single families, single parent families who said I was afraid something like this would happen. But our -- aftercare team gave them training, anti-trafficking training in the days following this operation that happened about nine days ago or so.

GLENN: So what happened -- I just saw a video this morning, and it happened a while back. I was surprised. Pat and I watched it this morning. Shocked we didn't know about it. A woman, a girl, lives in Ohio. She was I think 17 at the time. She was raped by a guy who -- these two girls met, I'm not sure exactly how it came down. But her friend Periscoped this rape. And instead of putting the phone down to help, she just Periscoped the whole thing and was responding to the comments, and she was, like, getting so many likes, and she was just -- I mean, it was crazy. And you see this now 18-year-old girl on her little girl bed that all of our daughters had growing up, and she's just -- she's vacant. She's just gone. What happens to these girls who were used by a teacher like this? And the parents. Do the parents get help?

MATT: Some of them will have a steep trip back. Remember, I was the bad guy, I was with them for about 30 minutes while the deal was going down. I am very positive that these girls will still be able to come back. They seem very full of life, they seemed a little bit shy, a little bit scared of us, but we talked about their dreams, we talked about what they wanted to do. Talked about wanting to be travel agents, tour guides, public administration. So I have a feeling, especially because we have this great relationship now. Our aftercare with the prosecutor, with their child protective services equivalent. We will be in touch with them in the weeks and months to come making sure that their road is paved.

GLENN: Tim, people are saying why aren't you doing stuff in America? Well, there are things that happen that you can't necessarily talk about because -- I mean, we can't even give you the name of the country on this particular thing. There are things that are happening right around America that you don't necessarily want to talk about.

But beyond that, these -- a lot of these places, especially over in Asia, the guys who are doing this are Americans and one of them was a teacher.

TIM: Yeah.

GLENN: That was caught.

TIM: Absolutely. We do work in the United States. We don't talk as much about it, but we do. And even when we don't, we target those Americans. Look, these are the people that live next door to us, but their inhibitions are down when they're traveling for sex in Asia or Latin America. We get them there and when they do, they don't come home. They rot in a foreign prison, and our kids are safe. So working over there is protecting our kids here.

GLENN: Because it gets worse and worse and worse when they go on these sex vacations.

TIM: Oh, yeah.

GLENN: You can't turn it off when you come home. Can you talk about that teacher that was here in America that you guys busted?

TIM: Yeah. I mean, this was a teacher that, you know, was teaching middle schoolkids and taking all of his vacations over in Asia and exploiting kids and people there. And we were able to catch him because he had just an enormous collection of child pornography, including stuff that he had produced. And there he is doing -- living these two lives, and then he's with our kids teaching them French or whatever he's teaching. It's just -- we have to root these guys out.

PAT: Are these guys generally married or single?

TIM: Both. That doesn't seem to deter them, if they're married.

PAT: Jeez.

TIM: Yeah.

GLENN: We just lost two operatives over in the Middle East that have been working with us to save moms and children from ISIS. Dads usually killed and then mom and the girls are taken and used as sex slaves or worse.

How dangerous is it for you guys to go out? I mean, you're not dealing with ISIS, per se. But how dangerous is this for you guys?

TIM: I think it's -- it's very dangerous. I mean, we're -- because our whole job, we call ourself operation underground railroad because we're trying to get inspiration from what that group did and what they did was filter the darkness. Everything we do whether it's online or physically and the more dangerous part, obviously, is the physical infiltration of these black markets. Matt ask his team, they were infiltrating people who were selling kids. This is -- we're disturbing their economic flow, their reputations.

GLENN: In some countries, that shall remain nameless, you know, the cartels will come after you here.

TIM: Oh, yeah, there's operations that we don't -- that we've been on that we've conducted that have been successful that no one even knows have been done. There's times we won't announce anything and we wish everyone can know what we're doing all the time and we can't because we tap into something like that.

GLENN: If you want to become involved, I urge you to go to OurRescue.org. That's OurRescue.org. Even a $5 monthly pledge goes a long way. You know, we all think that oh, you know, gee, if I were there, I would have stopped slavery. Really? Because slavery is a lot bigger than it was during the slave trade that we all read about in history books. A lot bigger. And are we doing anything? Just like in the olden days, people didn't want to look at it. They didn't want to think about it, they think wanted to put it out of their mind. Become an abolitionist. Join us today. OurRescue.org. Thanks, guys.

TIM: Appreciate it.

Are Gen Z's socialist sympathies a threat to America's future?

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In a republic forged on the anvil of liberty and self-reliance, where generations have fought to preserve free markets against the siren song of tyranny, Gen Z's alarming embrace of socialism amid housing crises and economic despair has sparked urgent alarm. But in a recent poll, Glenn asked the tough questions: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from—and what does it mean for America's future? Glenn asked, and you answered—hundreds weighed in on this volatile mix of youthful frustration and ideological peril.

The results paint a stark picture of distrust in the system. A whopping 79% of you affirm that Gen Z's socialist sympathies stem from real economic gripes, like sky-high housing costs and a rigged game tilted toward the elite and corporations—defying the argument that it's just youthful naivety. Even more telling, 97% believe this trend arises from a glaring educational void on socialism's bloody historical track record, where failed regimes have crushed freedoms under the boot of big government. And 97% see these poll findings as a harbinger of deepening generational rifts, potentially fueling political chaos and authoritarian overreach if left unchecked.

Your verdict underscores a moral imperative: America's soul hangs on reclaiming timeless values like self-reliance and liberty. This feedback amplifies your concerns, sending a clear message to the powers that be.

Want to make your voice heard? Check out more polls HERE.

Without civic action, America faces collapse

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Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

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We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

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Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

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Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE