SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Human trafficking enforcement operations conducted in the Bay Area during the FIFA World Cup 2026 resulted in the arrests of 25 trafficking suspects and the contact of more than 50 victims for recovery, the FBI announced Thursday.
The operations were focused across San Jose, Mountain View, Campbell, Oakland and San Francisco and involved coordination with local law enforcement. Officials said of the 53 victims contacted between June 9 and July 2, 11 of them were children who were successfully recovered. Multiple firearms were also seized in the enforcement, according to the FBI.
Nationally, between June 8 and July 19, FBI-led operations recovered 33 child trafficking victims, identified 38 adult victims and arrested 80 suspects, officials said. Approximately $220,000 was seized during the enforcement.
Along with human trafficking operations, the FBI also worked to secure restricted airspace during the tournament. In the Bay Area, agents cited 22 drone operators and seized 18 drones for alleged unauthorized flight activity. Nationwide, more than 700 drones were seized…