Over 900 Suspected Human Traffickers Arrested During FIFA World Cup

One state reported arresting 190 suspected human traffickers during the soccer tournament.

Police officers are seen before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between England and Congo at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on July 1, 2026. Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Federal agents arrested 905 suspects and rescued 180 victims of human trafficking—including 30 children—during the FIFA World Cup, officials reported July 29.

Agents with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Center for Countering Human Trafficking and Homeland Security Investigations partnered with federal, state, and local authorities during the operation.

“While Americans and international visitors were enjoying the FIFA World Cup, the men and women of [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] law enforcement were hard at work cracking down on human trafficking operations in FIFA host cities across the country,” Assistant Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.

Authorities described two of the operations carried out during the soccer tournament.

On July 24, federal agents served eight arrest warrants at an adult bookstore in Dallas that had operated as an illegal brothel for more than 20 years.

The investigation revealed thousands of adults and children were sold for commercial sex through the business. Agents were able to identify dozens of victims, one of whom had been murdered in 2024, according to DHS.

The suspects arrested were indicted on several charges, including sex trafficking by force, fraud, coercion, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.

In another case on June 23, agents in San Francisco conducted an operation that resulted in the rescue of two minor female victims of human trafficking. One of the two was reported missing out of Bakersfield, California, in November 2025, according to DHS.

South Florida reported the highest number of human trafficking arrests during the tournament with 190 arrests across the Miami-Dade region. Of those, 34 were felony arrests.

In Kansas City, a smaller operation by law enforcement during the World Cup resulted in 19 arrests and the rescue of nine children, according to the FBI.

More than 15 law enforcement agencies worked together to find human traffickers, authorities said.

“While it is an unfortunate fact that numbers like this confirm this threat is still one that exists in our community, I am proud of the work of all the partners involved to help us on this surge,” said Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge.

Human trafficking is the exploitation of a person for labor, services, or commercial sex acts through force, fraud, or coercion. Any exploitation of a minor for sex is considered by the FBI as trafficking, according to the agency.

FBI agents examine an illegally operated drone during the FIFA World Cup tournament. FBI

Federal authorities also took other enforcement actions during the World Cup.

More than 700 unauthorized drones were seized by DHS and the FBI.

The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) flew its Air and Marine operations over stadiums and host cities on more than 50 missions.

CBP also completed more than 19,000 inspections of vehicles and seized nearly 475,000 counterfeit FIFA World Cup merchandise items valued at about $33 million, DHS reported.

Homeland Security investigators also made 48 arrests and 164 seizures related to FIFA World Cup counterfeit goods, which included more than 530,000 items worth over $85 million, according to the agency.