Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier met with community leaders and law enforcement partners in South Florida to reinforce joint prevention efforts against human trafficking. The proactive surge comes as Miami anticipates a heightened risk of trafficking activity while hosting six upcoming FIFA World Cup matches and several other large-scale global events.
“We are taking a proactive approach and joining forces across government and private industry to combat human trafficking,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier during a recent roundtable discussion. “Large-scale global events bring an increase in trafficking activity and crimes of exploitation, which is why we are standing together to get ahead of the bad guys. With six more World Cup matches in Miami, South Florida will see record-breaking tourism, but we will not let that devolve into record-breaking crime.”
The roundtable brought together local, state, and federal entities to coordinate intelligence sharing, public awareness strategies, and immediate intervention tactics. Law enforcement officials emphasized that the region will maintain a zero-tolerance environment for exploiters during the games.
“Human trafficking is modern-day slavery, and there is no place for it in South Florida. As millions of visitors arrive for the World Cup, law enforcement, businesses, and community leaders are working together to ensure that traffickers find no safe haven here,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones. “The Southern District of Florida is committed to identifying victims, dismantling trafficking networks, and holding those who profit from human exploitation fully accountable. Our message is simple: if you traffic human beings in South Florida, we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will seek justice for your victims.”…