OAKLAND, Calif. - While fans from around the world were coming together to support their teams during the World Cup, multiple Bay Area law enforcement agencies were coming together to identify and rescue survivors of human trafficking, and to arrest offenders.
The Santa Clara County Human Trafficking Task Force announced on Friday that, in partnership with the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, during the course of the games, officers rescued 53 survivors, including 11 children, and arrested 25 offenders.
What they're saying:
"We are proud that Santa Clara County showcased itself to the world so well and so safely, and with one voice declared our intolerance for the illegal trafficking of human beings," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a press release. "We are standing with the survivors and providing them support and services so that they can go on to live a life free of cruel criminal exploitation."
Dig deeper:
The World Cup operation brought together nearly 70 law enforcement agencies from Sacramento to Monterey. A regional headquarters in Santa Clara included more than 50 analysts representing local, state and federal agencies.
The different entities collaborated to evaluate and develop actionable intelligence in real time, and worked with field personnel to support investigations, locate survivors, identify suspected traffickers and coordinate law enforcement across multiple jurisdictions.
The operation built on a collaborative effort that was last activated during Super Bowl LX, which was also held at Levi’s Stadium. During that operation, participating agencies arrested 29 traffickers and identified 73 survivors, including 10 minors.
The Source: Santa Clara County Human Trafficking Task Force