Super Bowl Crackdown On Human Trafficking Ends In 47 Arrest And 22 Rescues
Twenty-two women trapped in human-trafficking operations were rescued during a Super Bowl crackdown on the crime, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle announced Thursday (February 20th, 2020).
Five people were charged with trafficking — three of them accused of federal crimes and two charged with violating Florida law. Another 34 suspected accomplices or possible traffickers were arrested on trafficking-related charges, such as money laundering or drug possession. In addition, eight suspected “Johns” or sex buyers were arrested, Fernandez Rundle said.
“Trafficking survivors and other experts had previously warned us that our community would attract human traffickers that look to take advantage of the economic impact and influx of visitors produced by the Super Bowl itself,” Fernandez Rundle said. “That is why we joined forces with local, state and federal agencies and community organizations to tackle this threat successfully as one team.”
The victims who were recovered were all female, ranging in age from 15 to 38, with four from Miami-Dade and Broward counties, four from Georgia and 10 from other states. Four women from foreign countries — Russia, Israel, Chile and Argentina — were also able to escape.
“It was a success,” said Anthony Salisbury, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Miami. “One of the most gratifying things we do is helping someone out of a heinous situation. We also identified potential organizations.”
Law enforcement agencies targeted the Feb. 2 Super Bowl because of the convergence of 100,000 visitors on Miami.
The Super Bowl draws people to the party environment,” he said. “We saw as much trafficking activity in one week that we normally see over the course of seven or eight months. It was so palpable.”
Placing data analysts in the Super Bowl trafficking command center proved to be effective, Salisbury said. Thomson Reuters Special Services tech experts contracted by the federal government monitored communications on social media, which is traffickers’ favorite platform.
“They were able to analyze, manipulate and troll through data on social media, identify red flags, and, when we got tips, merge that information with intelligence from other agencies,” Salisbury said. “It’s something we had never done before.”
Sex trafficking, which differs from prostitution in that it includes the elements of threat, force or coercion, can be difficult to charge, so law enforcement officers look to make cases on charges linked to trafficking organizations. The bulk of the arrests were for “trafficking-related” offenses.
“Trafficking can unfold in a number of ways,” Salisbury said. “You need a cooperative victim. These victims have been mentally and physically abused. Are they willing to make a statement or testify? We do not want to re-traumatize them, therefore we may have to go with other charges. A large-scale ring is a business that opens us up to charging for money-laundering or narcotics or prostitution or Mann Act — transporting women across state lines for commercial sex.”
The annual crackdown in Super Bowl host cities has intensified in the last five years as trafficking has gained more recognition as a worldwide crime, Salisbury said.
“I think we are moving in leaps and bounds in combating this crime,” he said. “When I started 23 years ago, it was relegated to the local vice squads and assumed the women were putting themselves out there voluntarily. Now trafficking is a major priority.”
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