World Cup anti-trafficking operation leads to 153 arrests across metro Atlanta

As thousands of soccer fans traveled to Atlanta for the FIFA World Cup, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies launched a monthlong operation targeting human trafficking and child exploitation. Officials announced Tuesday that the effort resulted in 153 arrests and the identification of 54 trafficking victims across metro Atlanta.

Homeland Security Investigations and its law enforcement partners said Operation Red Card began with the first World Cup match in Atlanta and focused on stopping traffickers and people seeking to exploit children during the international event.

According to HSI Special Agent in Charge Steven Schrank, the operation resulted in 13 arrests on human trafficking charges, 11 arrests involving child exploitation and 129 additional arrests tied to offenses including pandering, prostitution-related crimes, narcotics violations and outstanding criminal warrants. Officials also said 14 of those arrested were in the United States unlawfully.

Investigators said they located and identified 54 victims of human trafficking during the operation. All were offered victim services, and 27 accepted assistance that included crisis intervention, medical care, emergency shelter, transportation, food, clothing and connections to long-term support programs, according to the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Director Jay Neal.

Schrank highlighted several cases uncovered during the operation, including the arrest of a 30-year-old convicted felon who investigators said traveled to meet what he believed was a 14-year-old child for sex and arrived with a shotgun and body armor. He also described two separate human trafficking cases in which suspects allegedly forced women into commercial sex acts and were found with firearms.

Officials said the operation took place throughout metro Atlanta rather than being concentrated in one area. Schrank said investigators encountered both local traffickers and suspects who traveled to metro Atlanta hoping to take advantage of the influx of World Cup visitors. He added that none of the people arrested were international visitors who came to the United States specifically for the tournament.

The operation coincided with changes to Georgia law that took effect July 1, making offenses such as pimping and pandering felonies. Schrank said the updated law strengthened investigators’ ability to hold offenders accountable during the latter part of the operation.

“The arrests and rescues are more than numbers,” Schrank said. “They represent lives changed, exploitation stopped, and our community made safer.” 

“Atlanta is not a safe place for traffickers and predators,” he added. 

Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey called the operation a proactive effort to combat child exploitation and human trafficking, saying partnerships among federal, state and local agencies are critical to dismantling organized criminal networks and protecting victims.