As World Cup fever swept through New York City, NYPD detectives were running a very different kind of game plan. The department says its Special Victims Unit rescued 43 people, including seven minors, from human traffickers during a series of World Cup-related operations across the city and surrounding area.
While fans packed into stadiums and watch parties, specialized investigators were carrying out a mix of surprise enforcement actions and low-profile outreach missions. NYPD officials say the effort pulled together months of planning, coordinated raids and on-the-ground work to identify victims and disrupt trafficking networks operating in and around the city.
Inside the NYPD’s World Cup operations
Between June 11 and July 19, NYPD Special Victims Unit detectives ran 87 operations that, according to the department, led to the rescue of 43 people and the arrest of 89 people accused of running trafficking rings.
“The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners,” Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit, said…