The DHS announced that 180 victims were rescued and 905 suspects were arrested during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Operations in both Dallas and San Francisco shut down elaborate sex-trafficking rings and saved victims, some of whom had been trafficked for years. The recently concluded spectacle brought more than 6.8 million fans and tourists for various matches and Fan fests around the country.
JUST IN: 🇺🇸 ICE arrested over 900 human traffickers during the FIFA World Cup and rescued 180 victims. pic.twitter.com/4dDb87fokr
— Remarks (@remarks) July 30, 2026
The results delivered on FBI Director Kash Patel's pre-tournament promises to crack down on human trafficking. Prior to the FIFA events' kickoff, Patel posted to X. "This FBI is working 24/7 to break sex and human trafficking networks worldwide, and we will be highly focused on the threat during the upcoming FIFA tournament," He said. "Like recent major FBI ops - Operation Iron Pursuit and 91 FBI-led Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces across the country that combine the capabilities of multiple agencies into powerful crime-fighting teams.
Of the 180 individuals rescued by (Homeland Security Investigations) HSI and the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT), along with federal, state, and local partners, 150 were adults and 30 were juveniles.
DHS says that Dallas HSI arrested 8 individuals in connection to a 20-year long brothel run out of an adult bookstore. They were indicted on several counts, including conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Through a 2023 investigation, HSI discovered that thousands of adults and minors were sold and trafficked for commercial sex through the operation, and were able to identify dozens of victims.
The agency added that in San Francisco, HSI, the FBI, and San Francisco Police Department conducted an investigation that identified and rescued two female human trafficking victims, one of whom had been missing from Bakersfield, California since November 2025.
Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis praised law enforcement's work, saying, "While Americans and international visitors were enjoying the FIFA World Cup, the men and women of ICE law enforcement were hard at work cracking down on human trafficking operations in FIFA host cities across the country. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, we are dismantling human trafficking networks."
Following the foiled domestic terror plot during the White House Lawn UFC fight, law enforcement was more prepared than ever to ensure Americans and tourists remained safe during the World Cup. Federal agencies also seized approximately $33 million worth of counterfeit merchandise, and conducted thousands of seizures and inspections during the month-long event.
Sporting events typically cause increased enforcement efforts around human trafficking, though data suggests that the largest human trafficking exploiters are routine labor and the commercial sex industry, like the secret brothel uncovered in Dallas.
Alongside a federal enforcement hike, local police departments in cities across the country also ramped up enforcement efforts, shutting down trafficking rings and arresting suspects.
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