DHS Arrests 905 Suspected Traffickers, Rescues 180 During 2026 FIFA World Cup

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 29

Federal agents arrested 905 suspected human traffickers and rescued 180 victims — including 30 children — during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, DHS said Wednesday.
HSI led the operations with the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking and federal, state and local partners across host cities while fans attended matches.
Eight suspects were arrested in Dallas in one of the biggest cases after investigators said an adult bookstore had operated as a brothel for more than 20 years, allegedly selling thousands of adults and children for sex.
In San Francisco, HSI agents working with the FBI and local police rescued two girls believed to be trafficking victims, including one missing from Bakersfield since November 2025.
The trafficking crackdown was part of a wider World Cup security push that DHS said also seized 700 unauthorized drones, inspected 19,000 vehicles and confiscated counterfeit merchandise worth more than $33 million.