Eight missing children have been rescued in Kansas City, Missouri, following a human trafficking operation conducted during the FIFA World Cup, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on July 13. Kansas City hosted six 2026 World Cup matches.
DHS said that federal agents partnered with local law enforcement in the operation aimed at getting “heinous criminals off Missouri streets,” but did not provide further details.
“When we work together, our communities and the American people are safer,” the agency said in a post on X, sharing a Fox News interview in which Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe talked about the operation.
Kehoe told Fox News on July 13 that the operation in Missouri resulted in the arrest of five migrants from Guatemala and Mexico.
“We saved eight children during this operation. We took advantage [of the event to target] bad people trying to prey on innocent children during an international opportunity and a celebration like the World Cup,” he said.
Kehoe also noted that he signed an executive order on his first day in office last year that authorized state and local law enforcement to assist in enforcing immigration laws. He signed five other executive orders that same day as part of his “Safer Missouri” public safety initiative.
The order allowed “federal partners and our state agencies and assets to come together to solve crime like this and take the worst of the worst off the street,” the governor said.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Kansas City said last month that the operation targeted sexual predators seeking to exploit minors and aimed to disrupt human trafficking networks while the city hosted World Cup games.
The operation also involved the FBI’s Kansas City bureau, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Kansas City Police Department, according to the agency’s statement issued on June 22.
HSI Kansas City said at the time that two people were arrested ahead of the World Cup. One was identified as Jason Grouix, 50, of Pensacola, Florida, who was charged with attempted enticement of a child and attempted possession of child pornography.
The other was identified as Curtis Ray Gibson, 47, of Lenexa, Kansas, who was charged in federal court with attempted sex trafficking of a child, according to the agency.
It remains unclear whether the two had been assigned legal representation.
Authorities had anticipated an influx of visitors from around the world during the FIFA World Cup. In a July 7 statement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it had deployed more than 700 personnel to support the tournament and help ensure the safety of the nation and worldwide soccer fans who traveled to the country.
The CBP said its personnel would focus on enhancing traveler processing, strengthening security measures, and enforcing laws against illegal trade and human trafficking during the event.
“For the FIFA World Cup, this means ensuring a safe, secure, and efficient experience for all visitors, while vigorously protecting our economy and consumers from illicit goods like counterfeits,” CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott said at the time.
