Authorities conducting human trafficking operations in the Bay Area during the World Cup arrested over two dozen suspected traffickers and provided assistance to dozens of survivors, according to officials.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office on Friday said 53 human trafficking survivors – 42 adults and 11 juveniles – were identified and offered support, 25 suspected traffickers were arrested, and 41 sex buyers were cited during 66 multi-agency operations conducted while World Cup matches were taking place in Santa Clara.
“We are proud that Santa Clara County showcased itself to the world so well and so safely, and with one voice declared our intolerance for the illegal trafficking of human beings,” Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. “We are standing with the survivors and providing them support and services so that they can go on to live a life free of cruel criminal exploitation.”
The survivors were connected with confidential advocates and offered assistance, including safety planning, emergency supplies, blankets, toiletries, temporary housing, and more, the district attorney’s office said.
During human trafficking operations earlier this year for Super Bowl LX, which was also held in Santa Clara, authorities arrested 29 suspected traffickers and identified 73 survivors, including 10 minors, according to the district attorney’s office.
The World Cup task force consisted of an 11-county regional response team of law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, social workers and advocacy organizations. The team was led by the Santa Clara County Human Trafficking Task Force and the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, which monitors human trafficking within the Bay Area.
The district attorney’s office said the task force used regional coordination for combined intelligence and investigative resources to act instantly during the operations. In one case, undercover investigators sent decoy messages to suspected traffickers, leading 13 to be arrested at various hotels on suspicion of felony pandering.
The operation was made up of police departments, human trafficking task forces and sheriff’s offices from cities including San Jose, San Mateo, San Francisco, Mountain View, Hayward, Campbell and Union City. Additionally, the FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Department of State Diplomatic Security Service and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation assisted in the operation.