HOUSTON — A campaign to combat human trafficking during the FIFA World Cup is underway in five host cities, including Dallas and Houston. Houston-based nonprofit, No Trafficking Zone, is spearheading the national effort.
Courtney Litvak said she fell victim to human traffickers at just 17 years old and was held captive for nearly four years in her hometown of Katy, west of Houston.
Advocates say that while human trafficking happens year-round, large-scale events like the FIFA World Cup can serve as a magnet for traffickers who hide in plain sight.
“I was trafficked during the 2017 Super Bowl. Absolutely, there is a direct correlation, and they increase human trafficking mass events, such as FIFA, especially international events,” Litvak said.
She said divine intervention gave her a ray of hope.
“God began planting seeds in me that there was something so much more I was created for, but that I had to quite literally run and take my life back and leave everything behind in order to escape with my life,” she said.
Litvak, now 27, serves as the director of survivor initiatives for the nonprofit No Trafficking Zone. They’re partnering with five FIFA World Cup host cities to combat human trafficking, including Dallas and Houston, which are considered major hubs for trafficking in the U.S.
“We break down the markets, and then we create No Trafficking Zones to prevent and combat human trafficking at the same time,” said Jacquelyn Aluotto, the co-founder and president of No Trafficking Zone, referring to international and domestic markets, as well as schools and other organizations.
She said they are creating No Trafficking Zones around the world and says they have already done so in Texas and in Houston. Their first one was NRG Park in Houston in 2020.
“We are an organization where we work with state and federal law enforcement, not just for these Game-Over initiatives to combat human trafficking, but to build cases against trafficking networks and transnational networks to dismantle them,” Aluotto said.
Aluotto says they have worked with law enforcement since launching the organization in 2020. She described some things that law enforcement officers look for when dealing with cases of human trafficking.
“They’re here and they don’t even have their license. Someone’s holding their money. They look like they’re being controlled. They’re not really making eye contact. Those are some indicators,” she said.
In June, No Trafficking Zone joined the City of Houston for a news conference on FIFA anti-trafficking efforts.
“[The Houston Police Department] is dedicating officers on all shifts 24/7 to focus on stopping and preventing this crime and is working closely with FIFA,” said Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz.
Organizers say their efforts helped secure a law giving traffickers 25 to 99 years in prison if they are convicted of a first-degree felony. They say their anti-trafficking efforts will continue long after the World Cup.
“We need to also make sure that these protections are in place and this work is happening 365 days a year,” said Litvak.
They’re also urging the public to report any suspicious activity.